Les is more for buoyant Hammers

West Ham United 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Derby days have been dog days for West Ham United recently, with only one home win in seven visits from London rivals, but yesterday they were the cats with the cream and the bragging rights. The fat cat missing was Paolo Di Canio, though few would have noticed. Victory without him over a woeful Tottenham to follow the success at West Bromwich Albion last Sunday, means that the revival the East End has been praying for since September may finally be under way.

The six points in seven days have hauled them level with Bolton, whose game in hand is at Liverpool next Saturday. The other date looming large in the diary is West Ham's visit to the Reebok Stadium on Easter Saturday. The manager, Glenn Roeder, was not looking that far ahead last night when he said: "It's been a good week and gives us something to build on. It was our best home performance of the season." And a first clean sheet for 22 games.

It was almost inevitable that West Ham should be sent on their way with a first goal for the club by Les Ferdinand, who was surprisingly allowed to move across London during the transfer window even though Spurs also released Sergei Rebrov and failed to sign a replacement.

With Steffen Iversen and Robbie Keane injured, Spurs are in no position to push for their first top-six finish since 1990 and on yesterday's showing, they may find their hopes going the same way as last season. On the identical weekend a year ago, they lost the Worthington Cup final to Blackburn Rovers and with it their best chance of a European place, as form dropped off for the rest of the season. "The performance wasn't good enough," their manager Glenn Hoddle admitted. "We didn't pass the ball well enough or show the desire West Ham showed, and didn't deserve anything." Agreed.

Ferdinand had scored the winner for Tottenham in the corresponding match last season, concussing himself in the process. This time he was left dazed and confused early on by a shuddering collision with Dean Richards, and might have been forced off well before his dramatic intervention just after the half-hour. Rufus Brevett played a routine pass forward that Jermain Defoe made into a telling one with his deft turn, taking two opponents out of the game. He then fed the ball to his right, where Ferdinand was lurking for a low drive that Kasey Keller negligently allowed to slip right through him.

It was just reward for the home side's enterprise. Allied to it was a rare degree of commitment shown by bookings for Joe Cole, Glen Johnson and Lee Bowyer and, more legitimately, the latter's driving runs into the centre from wide on the right. One such surge, in the 23rd minute, took him clear on to Cole's pass and he forced Keller to push the ball on to a post. The goalkeeper had required treatment after bravely thwarting him at close-range, and also had to push out a drive by the impish Defoe, who material-ised goal-side of Richards.

Just when we were wondering how this vibrant team could be in such a predicament, they showed us: a classic mix-up between Tomas Repka and goalkeeper David James leading to a corner from which Teddy Sheringham headed over. Before half-time another corner gave Sheringham the perfect opportunity to equalise but from barely a yard out he managed to head the ball square instead of into an unguarded net.

So West Ham went off to an ovation. Within two minutes of the resumption they were receiving a louder one for a second goal. Keller, alas, was once again at fault in failing to deal with a shanked clearance by the unimpressive Ledley King from Michael Carrick's cross. As the goalkeeper merely nudged the loose ball forward under pressure from Ferdinand, Carrick thumped it back past him.

Spurs had changed personnel and tactics at half-time, bringing on Ben Thatcher for Goran Bunjevcevic, who had been anonymous in midfield, and swapping to 3-5-2. There was no improvement and so one of the strikers, Gary Doherty, was removed, Simon Davies and Matthew Etherington pushing further forward to support Sheringham.

To no avail; the buoyant home side continued to make the chances and their supporters continued to gloat as Spurs faded and died.

West Ham United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0
L Ferdinand 31, Carrick 47

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 35,049