The brilliance of Michael Owen plunged West Ham back into the thick of the relegation battle, but it was little more than they deserved after an unadventurous display at Anfield.

The Hammers were out-passed and out-thought by Liverpool in a display which never matched manager Gerard Houllier's enthusiastic praise.

But even bereft of two strikers, West Ham were decidedly lame, offering just two scoring opportunities in 90 minutes where they were over-run.

A Jamie Carragher through ball enabled Owen to race past the stumbling Repka, get away from Pearce and outpace Lomas before delicately lifting the ball over James to make it 1-0.

Finally Hammers coaxed their midfield into life, and after a long spell of deploying the quartet as a highly vulnerable wall around the centre circle, Joe Cole and Lomas began pushing forward to support the isolated impromptu attack of Jermain Defoe and Trevor Sinclair.

With a box-to-box midfield, the Irons did put Liverpool under pressure.

Lomas headed over in the first half before scuffing that great chance after the break following a Pearce cross.

But it was never enough, and on 55 minutes a bright spell of Hammers pressure ended in a further blow.

Defoe and Sinclair had already stretched the Pool defence, and the little striker was battling bravely on the edge of the box to force an opening against the giant Sami Hyypia.

But instead the ball broke for Smicer, and his perfect through ball left Owen streaking towards goal past a flat-footed defence.

As the horribly exposed James raced off his line he must have feared the worst, and even a mishit from Owen proved enough to elude Christian Dailly's efforts and double the lead.

Published Monday November 4, 2002

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