West Ham recorded a desperately needed victory and acquired perhaps just a modicum of belief in their battle against relegation as they picked off a surprisingly meek Newcastle in east London.
A Tomas Soucek ram-raid in second-half added time put the seal on a victory that was earned with a determined first-half display, with Nuno Esp?rito Santo?s face a barometer for his team?s fortunes. From gritting his teeth furiously after a fourth-minute concession, the West Ham manager was smiling by half-time, and roaring as the final whistle blew. Likewise, a crowd that had struggled even to be frustrated earlier in the match, had now found its voice.
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