Scott Parker fired West Ham a giant step closer
towards Barclays Premier League safety with a blistering match-winner
against Wigan.
Parker's 25-yard strike settled a roller-coaster clash at Upton
Park 3-2, and that leaves the Hammers on the verge of securing their
top-flight status.
West Ham's vastly superior goal difference means Hull cannot realistically
overtake them and if Burnley fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday, then
Gianfranco Zola's men will effectively be safe.
The hosts were a goal down after four minutes when Jonathan Spector
turned Ben Watson's corner into his own net - but they hit back
with strikes from Ilan and Radoslav Kovac.
The Hammers struggled to deal with Watson's corners all day and
Hugo Rodallega profited from more poor defending to draw Wigan level.
But Parker, West Ham's player of the season who returned to the
side after a two-match ban, settled the nerves with a 78th-minute
long-range strike.
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