Hammers Hammered !

Kicked it all off
By Chris O'Brien
November 2 2004

Alan Lee, Joe Ledley, Paul Parry and Jobi McAnuff all found the net as Cardiff City recorded an amazing 4-1 victory over West Ham United at Ninian Park. 14,222 witnessed the Bluebirds playing some of their best football in years to rise to 18th in the Football League Championship.

Cardiff City found the fire power they lacked against Leicester City on the weekend as they cruised to an emphatic and equally shocking 4-1 victory over West Ham United at Ninian Park. Lennie Lawrence's side go into the winnable game at Rotherham on Saturday having risen to 18th place in the Championship table.

Alan Lee, Joe Ledley, Paul Parry and Jobi McAnuff all found the target as the Bluebirds played some superb attacking football in an amazing contrast to the dross that was served up at the start of the Football League Championship campaign.

City, growing in confidence after some improving displays of late, went right at the Hammers and two early goals left the result in little doubt. After only three minutes, an impressive run from Parry saw the former Hereford United winger cross for Lee and the Irishman slotted the ball home from just inside the penalty area to send 14,000 home fans into delight.

West Ham attempted a quick fight back but the City defence was dealing with a disinterested looking Hammers side easily and the lead was doubled just after the quarter-hour mark. McAnuff, playing on the right flank against his former club, found Ledley with a deep pass and the teenage sensation did brilliantly to control the ball and finished neatly at the far post. It was a quality finish from the midfielder making only his seventh appearance for City.

O'Neil almost secured victory as the England under-21 skipper sent a free-kick onto the crossbar after ex-Cardiff loaned 'keeper Stephen Bywater got fingertips to the thunderbolt shot. The midfielder was in action at the other end too, clearing a shot off the goal line before captain Kavanagh clearance ended the danger.

Cardiff's new-look side were playing with terrific pace that a physical West Ham struggled to keep up with. The East Londoners are one of the promotion contenders but rarely even contended with the hosts who played with a very direct style. 500 depressed Hammers were silent throughout as their side slipped further away from the automatic promotion spaces, held by unbeaten Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town.

The visitors started the second-half a little more positively but a back four of Darren Williams, Daniel Gabbidon, James Collins and Chris Barker was looking solid as Alan Pardew's team couldn't find the goal that would bring them back into the game. It was the Bluebirds who were to score next and effectively secure a first victory over the Hammers since 1962.

Provider of the first goal, Parry turned scorer with a 54th minute strike which capped another impressive performance from the hungry winger, playing in a more forward role due to Peter Thorne's injury. The Welsh international latched onto a through ball from Lee and slotted a shot around Bywater.

West Ham did enjoy more possession after Parry's goal and following a handful of chances got back into the game from the penalty spot. Marlon Harewood must have beat five City players down the right flank before he was upended by Kavanagh in the box. Referee Beeby showed no hesitation in giving the penalty, the home fans disagreed, but Harewood picked himself up and calmly shot past an otherwise faultless Tony Warner.

Pardew went for broke as Sergei Rebrov joined fellow striker Don Hutchinson, brought on before City's third, as the Hammers attacked in numbers. However it was always in the script that Jobi McAnuff would have the last laugh against the club that sold him for £250,000 during the summer. The Jamaican international curved the ball home from the edge of the Hammers area to condemn his ex-employees to their heaviest defeat of the Championship campaign thus far.

Full Time - Cardiff City 4-1 West Ham United
Attendance - 14,222