Hines fires late to hand Zola a lift
WEST HAM (2) vs ASTON VILLA (1)
A DRAMATIC late winner from youngster Zavon Hines handed the Hammers their first Premier League victory since the opening day of the season last night.
The 21-year-old stabbed home three minutes into injury time to lift Gianfranco Zola’s men out of the drop zone for the first time since September.
Mark Noble gave the Hammers the lead on the stroke of half time after Hines was felled by Habib Beye.
Villa were then handed a penalty themselves three minutes into the restart when Manuel Da Costa fouled ex-Hammer James Collins but Robert Green saved Ashley Young’s spot-kick.
Young wasn’t to be denied, however, as he levelled for the visitors just three minutes later with a curling cross-cum-shot which eluded Green.
Beye then saw red for a second yellow card after a foul on Jonathan Spector, and the Hammers made the visitors pay deep into injury time when Hines latched onto a fine run from Scott Parker to fire home.