West Ham 2-0 QPR: Poor defending costs Hoops at Upton Park

Goals early in each half from West Ham were enough to see them breeze past QPR at Upton Park and put Harry Redknapp's side bottom of the league.

This game ended up a fairly one sided contest as QPR's road troubles continued. They got off to the worst possible start just five minutes in with some woeful defending from a right wing Stewart Downing corner. Although their was some bad luck involved as it appeared that the in swinging delivery had been flicked on by the hand of Enner Valencia, but the referee saw nothing and the ball hit Nedem Onuoha with him facing his own goal six yards with the result inevitable an own goal for the right back.

It could have easily been two just five minutes later when the Hammers front pair combined. Diarra Sakho with the low cross from the left which deflected off Rio Ferdinand into the path of Valencia who from six yards put it wide with his left foot however he was off balance.

The visitors only real opening came after good solo work by lone striker Charlie Austin in the 24th minute when he nutmegged James Tomkins down the left side of the box to create a sight on goal before curling one right footed to the far post however Adrian in the Hammers goal saved it pretty easily.

Redknapp made a brave decision at half time to stick on former Hammer Bobby Zamora and go two up front and it nearly had an immeadite impact when he combined with Austin. In the 47th minute Zamora beat the offside trap down the left and delivered an early low cross which Austin turned just wide of the near post with his left foot from about 10 yards out.

Just shy off the hour mark though and another show of shoddy QPR defending allowed Sam Allardyce's side to wrap up the points. The hoops only half cleared a costless kick as far as Mario Zarate whose 20 yard shot deflected in the air when Tomkins got it down under pressure down the right side of the box and right footed hopefully lifted it back across goal where Sakho ran in behind Green to tap in from just a yard out.

The match turned into a pretty drab affair for the last half an hour with West Ham knowing they'd won and QPR not having the beleif to get back in the game. The only big chance of the closing stages came five minutes from time when after good build up by the Irons Downing delivered a low ball across the box from the left which substitute Kevin Nolan hit straight at Rob Green from eight yards out right footed.

After thoughts are that West Ham pick up another big three points in front of a resurgent home crowd as well who have suddenly dropped the pressure on the manager's back with the team playing the attacking football promised. QPR meanwhile are back at the bottom and really kicked themselves in the foot today with basic defensive mistakes as well as a lack of ambition going forward, a long season awaits.

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