West Ham Utd 3 Tottenham 4:If this proves to have been the last rites for West Ham in the Premiership, then never can they have been read so thrillingly. A breathless contest careered to the cruellest of finales, the tap-in which secured Tottenham's unlikely victory surely slicing the home side too far adrift from safety. Alan Curbishley admitted afterwards that he is not "immune" from the sack. His team's season is disintegrating.
Even in the context of their ridiculous campaign, it was staggering. They had led 2-0 and, with five minutes remaining, 3-2, only for confidence to wither. The six goals had been shared when, four minutes into added time and after Carlos Tevez' corner, Bobby Zamora surrendered possession to Lee Young-pyo's snapped challenge. Paul Stalteri, calm amid the mayhem, duly liberated Jermaine Defoe on the halfway line and within seconds West Ham's world had imploded.
There were Spurs players breaking in support as the striker charged at the retreating Paul Konchesky, but Defoe worked enough space to hit a shot which Robert Green palmed out and Stalteri, his run maintained "for the first time in his life", joked Martin Jol, tapped in the rebound. Some of the home players left in tears. It is 11 league games since they won; the Championship looms larger.
It remains to be seen whether Curbishley will be in charge to take them there. "Nothing surprises me in football any more. I'd like to think I'd have the chance to turn this around. When I sat down with the chairman (Eggert Magnusson), when I came in before Christmas, this was going to be a long-term thing, but the only man who can decide that is him. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season, to trying to stay up, and to turning this around in the summer. We'll have to see."
This was an implausible defeat. West Ham had been excellent throughout the first half, Mark Noble thumping in a half-volley from Tevez' knockdown and the Argentinian's glorious free-kick doubling the advantage and ending 1,142 minutes without a goal since he arrived in the Premiership.
The mood at the interval was almost cocky; instead, familiar frailties reared their heads. Lee Bowyer hacked at Aaron Lennon, Defoe sliding in the penalty six minutes into the second period. Curbishley spoke of his side being "naive". That assessment was kind. Dimitar Berbatov had been denied by Green three times before the interval, though the goalkeeper was vaguely culpable for the equaliser, his ambitious throw contributing to possession changing hands with Berbatov bursting down the right to centre for Lennon's cushioned flick and Teemu Tainio volleyed his side level.
By the time Zamora planted a header from Tevez' free-kick beyond Paul Robinson to re-establish a lead, Nigel Quashie had joined Matthew Upson - who managed 11 minutes this time before hobbling off - in the treatment room with the club braced for a £25,000 fine for having six men booked.
"It was heaven, hell, heaven, hell," said Jol, Ferdinand's foul on the debutant Adel Taarabt conceding the last minute free-kick from which Berbatov equalised beyond Konchesky on the line.
"There was no way he could hit that ball in the top corner," added Jol, "but he's world class." Guardian Service
