FA Cup fourth round: Carl Cort was added to the Wolverhampton Wanderers roster of strikers yesterday but it was the contribution of one of his predecessors, David Connolly, that proved pivotal to West Ham United qualifying for the fifth round.
Connolly, who joined Wolves on a season's loan from Feyenoord in 1998, scored one of West Ham's goals and played a major part in the build-up to another.
Allied to the home defence's return to shoddy habits that had appeared to have been cured in recent outings, he ensured a team buoyed by the possibility of promotion prevailed over one haunted by the prospect of relegation.
Not that West Ham's defence, especially in the previous game at Sheffield United where a 3-1 halftime advantage evaporated into three-all by the end, is renowned for obduracy. The Hammers were cushioned by the same advantage at the halfway point yesterday, but there the similarities ended.
"We learned our lesson from last week and were more composed in the second half," said the Hammers manager Alan Pardew. "There were a couple of scary moments but that was only to be expected."
The resulting victory not only ended Wolves' 11-game unbeaten home run but continued West Ham's impressive away form. They have lost two league games on their travels this season and Pardew added: "Our problems lie at home. We're not far away from being a very good side . . . We've also got several players to come back including the new lads Nigel Reo-Coker, Adam Nowland and Alan Melville, as well as Thomas Repka and Jermain Defoe."
Pardew added the rider if Defoe is still at Upton Park come the end of the month. So far, there have not been any official bids for the striker.
Defoe would have been proud to have been responsible for the strike with which Brian Deane gave the Hammers the lead, likewise Connolly's.
Just four minutes had passed when Deane scored. Marlon Harewood began the move, crossing for David Connolly to head the ball into the path of Deane who volleyed home.
Harewood was involved again, this time as executioner, when the Hammers doubled their lead. Christian Dailly supplied a headed knock down following Jon Harley's left-wing cross leaving Harewood to score from close range. Wolves responded almost immediately as Portuguese midfielder Silas crossed from the right for Vio Ganea to score his first goal for the club.
The strike failed to inspire a recovery. Instead Connolly restored the visitors' two-goal advantage by cutting in from the left and, ignoring the unmarked Harewood, firing the ball home via the underside of the crossbar.
Wolves had their chances in the second half and a miss perpetrated by teenage substitute Leon Clarke only served to emphasise the need for Cort. Wolves paid Newcastle United £2 million for the striker who has signed a three-and-a-half year contract.
"We've signed him on a big contract and there's a big fee to pay so this is a long-term thing," said Jones. "We are building for the future."
The defeat was only the third Wolves have suffered at home all season. The others were inflicted by London clubs, and with Arsenal next up at Molineux, another dose of capital punishment may be in the offing.
Guardian Service
