West Ham United ... 2 Blackburn Rovers ... 1: There is hope for the Irons yet. An amazing goal from Jermain Defoe gave West Ham United their first three points at home this season, a win that was greeted by delirious scenes from the crowd and players on the final whistle.

The young striker had been on the pitch for just six minutes when Joe Cole fizzed a low pass from right to left, finding Defoe on the left of the penalty area. In a split second he had turned inside Lucas Neill and unleashed a fearsome right-foot shot inside Brad Friedel's near post.

The omens for this game were not good for the home side. Thrashed 6-0 in the FA Cup by Manchester United on Sunday, questions were being asked about the willingness of the team to play for Glenn Roeder.

Drastic changes were afoot and the manager brought back his captain and talisman Paolo di Canio for the first time since December 2nd, pairing him with the loan signing from Spurs, Les Ferdinand - which gave West Ham a strike force with an aggregate age of 72.

Spirited but scrappy, West Ham created the first opening on the quarter-hour, Steve Lomas's cross from the right finding the head of Ferdinand, although the ball then found Brad Friedel's arms.

Blackburn had been slow to rouse themselves but in the 38th minute they unexpectedly took the lead. Nigel Winterburn unecessarily tripped Keith Gillespie.

Thompson's low free-kick from the edge of the area managed to elude all those in a claret shirt, hit Dwight Yorke in the chest from four yards out and the striker reacted quickest to stab home.

West Ham were refusing to be daunted and in the 57th minute they equalised when Di Canio converted a penalty he had won under a challenge from Andy Todd.

Di Canio speared the ball contemptuously into the net.

WEST HAM: James, Winterburn (Defoe 84), Repka, Pearce, Johnson, Lomas, Cole, Carrick, Bowyer, Les Ferdinand (Kanoute 59), Di Canio (Sinclair 88). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Schemmel. Booked: Cole. Goals: Di Canio 58 pen, Defoe 89.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, McEveley (Jansen 90), Taylor, Todd, Neill, Tugay, Flitcroft, Thompson, Gillespie (Johansson 70), Cole, Yorke (Ostenstad 84). Subs Not Used: Robinson, Douglas. Booked: McEveley. Goals: Yorke 38.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).