It had to happen one day -- and West Ham have finally won a home match.

It may only have been against First Division opposition, and it may have needed a linesman's flag in the dying seconds to spare them yet another afternoon of frustration, but at last the curse has been lifted.

And with two goals from Jermain Defoe -- one a finish of pure class, the other a generous deflection -- and a further strike from hardworking skipper Joe Cole, Hammers can once again dream of turning the corner.

Yet this thriller might have ended very differently. There was little between the sides for much of this game, and when a David James error gifted Forest the lead the tension at Upton Park stepped up another unbearable notch.

This time it was Andy Reid who upset the England hopeful. His low cross-shot should have been routine, but it squirmed through James and left Marlon Harewood with a simple tap-in in front of the incredulous Bobby Moore stand.

Now it was time for Cole to show he has the ability to transform a game. With Trevor Sinclair having yet another frustrating day of unsuccessful trickery, he was the brightest light in midfield.

And after receiving Michael Carrick's intelligent throughball, Cole found Defoe for the equaliser.

Not that Defoe had it easy: on the contrary he needed breathtaking technique to hit a curling chip round Jim Brennan and out of reach of keeper Darren Ward.

An absorbing midfield battle ensued, and it was the First Division side who edged in front again after half-time.

Harewood outpaced Christian Dailly and Nigel Winterburn, and his cross was emphatically volleyed home by Reid.

Winterburn redeemed himself moments later by dispossessing the onrushing Harewood, and David Johnson should have done better from Riccardo Scimeca's quickly taken free kick.

But then Cole put Hammers level again with a glorious finish after gathering Sebastien Schemmel's pass.

His low shot from an acute angle left Ward exposed once again, and his joyous celebration underlined what it meant to everyone in claret and blue.

Defoe's late, low, deflected winner produced another explosion of joy and relief.

Published Monday, January 6, 2003

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