West Ham overcame a spirited Hull side to keep pace with Southampton at the top of the Championship table.

Jack Collison's composed finish added to Sam Baldock's close-range volley to keep the Hammers within five points of the Saints.

Both goals came in the second half to complete a sixth away victory of the season for Sam Allardyce's men.

Poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Robert Green denied City, who dominated in the opening 45 minutes.

Robert Koren and Matty Fryatt both went close in a first half which was one-way traffic towards the West Ham goal.

It took the Hammers 31 minutes to register their first effort on goal, but they were soon into their stride after the interval.

The catalyst for the turnaround was the introduction of Carlton Cole, in place of John Carew.

The switch seemed to pay almost instant dividends when Papa Bouba Diop set up Baldock to lash home from six yards out.

And, as the Tigers pushed men forward in a bid to get back into the game, Cole's neat pass split the home side's defence and Collison showed great maturity to pick his spot and double his side's advantage.

Hull did everything to get themselves back into the contest, but good defending by Julien Faubert and more top saves from Green denied them a deserved share of the spoils.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

On being linked to Leicester, Hull boss Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Humberside:

"Did we deserve to lose the two games we've played? Probably not.

"We get back to working hard for the next game because the division is still pretty tight.

"As far as I am concerned, my job is my job and I do it as best I can and I will always do that.

"So I am now not going to turn it around the other way. You will have to ask the club if they have had an approach but I don't think they have.

"My job is to do this job as well as I can and if that changes then you'll know from the club, you won't hear it from me."

Lineup, Bookings (2) & Substitutions (4)

Hull

  • 24 Gulacsi
  • 02 Rosenior
  • 05 Chester
  • 06 Hobbs
  • 19 Dudgeon
  • 04 McKenna
  • 08 Evans
  • 10 Koren
  • 09 Mclean
  • 12 Fryatt
  • 22 Adebola (Brady - 61' )

Substitutes

  • 01 Basso
  • 15 McShane
  • 14 Cairney
  • 16 Harper
  • 17 Brady

West Ham

  • 01 Green
  • 03 McCartney
  • 05 Tomkins Booked
  • 15 Faye
  • 18 Faubert
  • 04 Nolan Booked
  • 10 Collison
  • 16 Noble
  • 21 Diop (Sears - 83' )
  • 07 Baldock (Piquionne - 87' )
  • 11 Carew (Cole - 46' )

Substitutes

  • 28 Kurucz
  • 48 Potts
  • 09 Cole
  • 19 Sears
  • 30 Piquionne
Ref: Miller
Att: 21,756

Match Stats

Shots

19 6

On target

14 2

Corners

8 3

Fouls

6 5

Live Text Commentary

90:00 +3:43 Full time

Full Time The referee ends the match.

90:00 +3:25

Corner from right by-line taken by Robbie Brady.

90:00 +3:13

Effort on goal by Paul McKenna from 25 yards. Robert Green makes a save.

90:00 +1:25

Liam Rosenior produces a cross, Abdoulaye Faye makes a clearance.

90:00 +1:12

Corner taken short by Robbie Brady.

90:00 +0:58

A cross is delivered by Robbie Brady, Jack Hobbs takes a shot. Save made by Robert Green.

89:32

Corner from the right by-line taken by Robbie Brady, Mark Noble makes a clearance.

89:13

Matt Fryatt takes a shot. Save made by Robert Green.

87:57

Effort by Corry Evans from a long way out goes over the crossbar.

87:39

Unfair challenge on James Chester by Frederic Piquionne results in a free kick. Indirect free kick taken by Liam Rosenior.

86:55 Substitution

Substitution Frederic Piquionne is brought on as a substitute for Sam Baldock.

86:47

The ball is sent over by Robbie Brady.

84:59

Direct effort from the free kick comes in from Robbie Brady.

84:59 Booking

Booking James Tomkins is shown a yellow card.

84:36

Sam Baldock gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Paul McKenna.

83:51

Effort from the edge of the area by Robbie Brady goes wide of the left-hand post.

82:50 Substitution

Substitution Freddie Sears comes on in place of Papa Bouba Diop.

82:45

Robbie Brady crosses the ball, clearance made by James Tomkins.

81:49

Robert Koren takes a shot. Save made by Robert Green.

80:49

The ball is swung over by Matt Fryatt, clearance made by Abdoulaye Faye.

79:00

Aaron Mclean concedes a free kick for a foul on George McCartney. Indirect free kick taken by Robert Green.

73:29

Liam Rosenior delivers the ball, save made by Robert Green.

72:36

The ball is swung over by Joe Dudgeon, clearance made by Abdoulaye Faye.

70:24

Free kick awarded for a foul by Aaron Mclean on Papa Bouba Diop. Robert Green takes the free kick.

68:35

The referee blows for offside against Carlton Cole. Free kick taken by James Chester.

67:04

The ball is delivered by Liam Rosenior, clearance by Abdoulaye Faye.

64:17

The assistant referee signals for offside against Carlton Cole. Jack Hobbs takes the free kick.

63:18

Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Robbie Brady.

63:07

Aaron Mclean takes a shot. Save by Robert Green.

61:38

Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Robbie Brady from the right by-line, Jack Hobbs takes a shot. Julien Faubert makes a clearance.

60:09 Substitution

Substitution (Hull) makes a substitution, with Robbie Brady coming on for Dele Adebola.

59:42

Shot from outside the penalty box by Robert Koren goes wide right of the goal.

56:46

The assist for the goal came from Carlton Cole.

56:46 Goal scored

Goal - Jack Collison - Hull 0 - 2 West Ham Goal scored by Jack Collison from inside the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Hull 0-2 West Ham.

52:30

Mark Noble sends in a cross, Joe Dudgeon manages to make a clearance.

49:26

Outswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Mark Noble, clearance by Liam Rosenior.

48:43

The assist for the goal came from Papa Bouba Diop.

48:43 Goal scored

Goal - Sam Baldock - Hull 0 - 1 West Ham Sam Baldock gets on the score sheet with a goal from close range to the top left corner of the goal. Hull 0-1 West Ham.

47:48

Corner taken by Mark Noble from the right by-line played to the near post.

46:30

Jack Collison sends in a cross, James Tomkins produces a header from inside the six-yard box that clears the bar.

46:18

Jack Collison crosses the ball, Dele Adebola manages to make a clearance.

45:48

Foul by Aaron Mclean on George McCartney, free kick awarded. Mark Noble crosses the ball in from the free kick, clearance by Liam Rosenior.

45:19

Dele Adebola concedes a free kick for a foul on Papa Bouba Diop. Direct free kick taken by Papa Bouba Diop.

45:01

The second half kicks off.

45:01 Substitution

Substitution John Carew goes off and Carlton Cole comes on.

45:00 +1:00 Half time

Half Time The referee calls an end to the first half.

45:00 +0:18

George McCartney is caught offside. Indirect free kick taken by Peter Gulacsi.

44:30

Aaron Mclean produces a left-footed shot from deep inside the area which goes wide of the left-hand post.

43:58

Matt Fryatt takes a shot. Save by Robert Green.

43:12

Kevin Nolan is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Peter Gulacsi takes the indirect free kick.

42:31

George McCartney sends in a cross, Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by John Carew misses to the left of the goal.

42:01

The ball is delivered by Liam Rosenior, clearance by Abdoulaye Faye.

41:23

Dele Adebola takes a shot. Abdoulaye Faye gets a block in.

40:05

The ball is delivered by George McCartney, Joe Dudgeon makes a clearance.

38:59

The ball is crossed by Liam Rosenior, Abdoulaye Faye manages to make a clearance.

36:54

A cross is delivered by Julien Faubert, Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by Kevin Nolan misses to the left of the goal.

31:59

Liam Rosenior sends in a cross.

30:45

Outswinging corner taken by Mark Noble from the right by-line, James Tomkins has a headed effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the left of the target.

29:03

The ball is swung over by Paul McKenna, clearance by Julien Faubert.

27:27

Inswinging corner taken by Robert Koren, clearance by Abdoulaye Faye.

27:15

Robert Koren takes a shot. Robert Green makes a save.

25:05

The ball is delivered by Joe Dudgeon, clearance by Mark Noble.

24:57

The ball is sent over by Liam Rosenior, Papa Bouba Diop makes a clearance.

23:58

The ball is delivered by James Tomkins, James Chester makes a clearance.

23:41

The ball is sent over by George McCartney, Jack Hobbs manages to make a clearance.

20:48

Free kick awarded for a foul by Kevin Nolan on Paul McKenna. Robert Koren has a direct shot on goal from the free kick, save by Robert Green.

20:16

Corner taken right-footed by Robert Koren.

19:56

Dele Adebola takes a shot. Blocked by James Tomkins.

18:24

Julien Faubert delivers the ball, James Chester manages to make a clearance.

16:59

Free kick awarded for a foul by John Carew on Jack Hobbs. Free kick taken by Peter Gulacsi.

16:59

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Jack Hobbs by John Carew. Indirect free kick taken by Peter Gulacsi.

16:35

Liam Rosenior concedes a free kick for a foul on Papa Bouba Diop. Free kick taken by George McCartney.

13:08

George McCartney crosses the ball, save by Peter Gulacsi.

12:42

Centre by Liam Rosenior, Matt Fryatt takes a shot. Robert Green makes a save.

11:43

Matt Fryatt takes a shot. Save by Robert Green.

8:28

John Carew is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Peter Gulacsi takes the indirect free kick.

7:35

Robert Koren crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from right wing, clearance made by Mark Noble.

7:35 Booking

Booking Kevin Nolan is given a yellow card.

7:02

Kevin Nolan challenges Corry Evans unfairly and gives away a free kick.

6:22

A cross is delivered by Jack Collison, save made by Peter Gulacsi.

4:58

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Kevin Nolan by Corry Evans. Robert Green takes the free kick.

4:44

Robert Koren sends in a cross, clearance made by James Tomkins.

4:01

Outswinging corner taken by Robert Koren from the right by-line, John Carew makes a clearance.

3:35

Robert Koren takes a shot. Save made by Robert Green.

0:00

The referee gets the match started.

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