Curbishley: That's football
Alan Curbishley was happy to see his Hammers win
Also In The News
|
Published by Penguin, out October 4th, 293 pages, £12. |  |
Monday, 22, Oct 2007 01:05
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley said he was happy his team were able to ride their luck in securing a vital 3-1 victory over Sunderland.
He also hailed goalkeeper Rob Green's miraculous fingertip save from Grant Leadbitter, with the score at 1-1, as the "turning point" of the win.
A goal from Carlton Cole early on and Craig Bellamy's injury-time third sealed the win, although one of the key moments was a freak own goal conceded by Roy Keane's side.
Nolberto Solano's long-range shot cannoned off the post, hit Black Cats goalkeeper Craig Gordon's foot and rolled agonisingly over the line.
And Curbishley, despite admitting his side had been outplayed before taking a 2-1 lead, said he felt his players deserved the three points.
"That's football, you've got to keep going," he said.
"Sunderland made it difficult, played 4-5-1 and asked us to break them down.
"There's bound to be a time when we're the better side and we'll come away with nothing, so I'll take the three points."
The former Charlton boss reserved special praise for Green, who is angling for an international call-up after missing out in the last squad, for helping his side break their run of three straight defeats to Arsenal, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
"I think the save from Robert Green turned the game," said Curbishley.
"It was the turning point of the whole game because we looked really leggy, it didn't look like we could lift it.
"We looked a lot stronger once we got back in the lead."
He added: "I'll take the three points today because it's a vital three points for us. We needed to get a win in because of the last three results."