Cottee's final twist

TO BE kind, it was West Ham's third game in a week and Rangers - deep in a run of depressing results - were in no mood to open up the game. That said, 80 minutes of slog and sloppy football seemed a high price to pay before the match erupted in a final 10 minutes of incident and, amazingly, a goal.

Rangers lost defender Karl Ready 10 minutes from time when he routinely obstructed Hammers' substitute Robbie Slater, but it was his second bookable offence so off he went. His manager Ray Wilkins then decided to take himself off for another defender, Danny Maddix, to hold the line for a share of the spoils. But three minutes later Tony Cottee swivelled and swerved past a couple of defenders in the Rangers' box to hook his shot beyond Jurgen Sommer - just like old times.

The three oldest men on the field were the game's decisive influences. At the heart of West Ham's new and successful defensive strategy of three centre-backs, veteran Alvin Martin never put a foot wrong. Wilkins instigated what worthwhile efforts Rangers could muster. They did not muster many, though Ian Holloway did bring out the best in Ludek Miklosko just before half-time when he combined with Danny Dichio to open the route to goal. Dichio also stretched the keeper later with a rasping 25-yard shot which Miklosko tipped round the post.

Cottee was starved of the service which Ian Dowie's physique and head were supposed to supply, but that was not surprising as the West Ham striker spent most of the afternoon involved in a best-of-three-falls contest with his Northern Ireland team mate Alan McDonald.

Depleted of the skill and imagination of the injured John Moncur, West Ham spluttered where they have recently flowed although Ian Bishop still showed enough flair to outwit Rangers' solid blood and guts in the midfield. The inability of Michael Hughes and John Harkes to utilise the wide open spaces on either flank did not help.

In the end it took a fleeting reminder of vintage Cottee to gain a victory earned by the sweat of his colleagues' brows.