A brace from Andy Carroll has virtually assured West Ham of Premier League safety.
The big striker, who has been the recipient of much criticism in recent weeks for failing to score sufficient goals stepped up to the plate today to score a goal in either half that sent United on their way to a seventh home league win of the season.The Irons were rewarded for a promising opening when Carroll opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark with a fierce header from man-of-the-match Gary O'Neil's left-sided corner.
And the lead was doubled on 28 minutes when provider turned scorer as O'Neil grabbed his first goal of the season. Ricardo Vaz Te's fifty-yard run culminated in a short pass to O'Neil, who sent a looping volley over Foster into the far corner of the net.
Despite a promising start to the second period, the Baggies continued to come up short in front of goal - and paid the price for their profligacy when Carroll added a third for West Ham with just ten minutes left on the clock.
James Collins, fouled in the centre circle picked himself up before flighting a deep free kick towards the Albion penalty area. Carroll, positioned between both central defenders watched the ball drop over his shoulder before firing a volley - with his 'wrong' foot, his right - across Foster into the far corner of the net.
There was however to be a late consolation for West Brom, who won a late penalty when Matt Taylor was adjudged to have backed into Roman Lukaku. Former Hammers transfer target Graham Dorrans stepped up to fire home his first goal of the season.
However they were to finish the game with only ten men following an incredible show of petulance by Youssouf Mulumbu, who responded to a tug on his shirt by Gary O'Neil by picking up the ball and kicking it at O'Neil - a reaction that saw him instantly dismissed by Andre Marriner.
West Ham had also been forced to play the remaining ten minutes a man short after George McCartney, on as a late replacement for Guy Demel in his first appearance of 2013 pulled up just three minutes after coming on.
The win lifts West Ham up to 11th place in the table, 13 points clear of bottom two Reading and Queens Park Rangers and six points clear of 18th -placed Aston Villa. We'll have the reaction of both managers for you shortly.
How they stand: United rise to 11th in the table following this afternoon's win
West Ham Utd 3-1 West Bromwich Albion: match facts
West Ham Utd: Jaaskelainen, Demel (McCartney 79), O'Brien, Reid, Collins, O'Neil, Diame (Collison 82), Nolan (Taylor 69), Vaz Te, Jarvis, Carroll.
Subs not used: Henderson, Tomkins, Chamakh, C.Cole.
Goals: Carroll (16, 80), O'Neil (28).
Shots on/off target: 8/8.
Booked: Reid (78).
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Yacob (Odemwingie 71), Brunt, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Long (Rosenberg 71), Lukaku.
Subs not used: Myhill, Popov, Tamas, Thomas, Fortune.
Goals: Dorrans (pen 88).
Shots on/off target: 12/8.
Booked: Long (67).
Referee: Andre Marriner.
Attendance: 34,966.
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