A brace from Kevin Nolan secures a huge three points for the Hammers as they continue to struggle against relegation from the English Premier League. Both headed assists came from former Newcastle man Andy Carroll, who subsequently found himself taking an early bath after appearing to accidentally catch Chico Flores with his arm on 59 minutes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Hammers comfortably held off the Welsh outfit to secure a much-needed win. Nolan's opener came on 26 minutes. Carroll nodded down a cross to the captain, who had time to control the ball before hammering home the opening goal. The second came on 45 minutes, just before the break. Carroll nodded on a corner for Nolan to finish the job with a neat header. The result moves the Hammers onto 22 points, within 3 goals of safety as it stands in 18th place. Swansea were frankly toothless without their influential goalscoring midfielder Michu, and they now lie a mere 2 points above the drop zone with 14 games to play. Haviing taken a mere two points from their last six English Premier League games, they now have to be considered serious candidates for relegation this season. West Ham: Adrian, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney, Noble, Taylor, Downing, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll. Subs: Borriello, Nocerino, Reid, Morrison, Jaaskelainen, Carlton Cole, Johnson. Swansea: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Chico, Williams, Ben Davies, Amat, de Guzman, Routledge, Shelvey, Dyer, Bony. Subs: Britton, Hernandez, Cornell, Lamah, Rangel, Pozuelo, Ngog.
Diarmuid is a freelance student and studious sports journalist operating out of the wilds of Dublin, Ireland. His specialist subjects include the English Premier League, the GAA, and track and field athletics.
