Hines hands Hammers victory
Reuters - Wednesday 04 November 2009, 22:09
LONDON - West Ham United won their first Premier League match since the opening day of the season when Zavon Hines scored deep in stoppage time to give them a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Upton Park on Wednesday.
West Ham moved out of the relegation places and up to 16th after a match featuring two penalties, an outstanding goal for Villa from Ashley Young and a late red card for Villa defender Habib Beye. Villa stay seventh.
The home side went ahead at the end of the first half when Mark Noble lashed in a penalty following a Beye challenge on Hines.
The referee awarded a second penalty early in the second half, this time to Villa, but Robert Green dived low to his left to save from England colleague Young.
Green was powerless to stop Young scoring three minutes later when he curled an astonishing right-foot shot past Green almost from the touchline.
With the game seemingly drifting towards a draw Hines, who had come on for England striker Carlton Cole (hamstring injury) after 30 minutes, struck his dramatic winner.