LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE HAMMERS AT ST JAMES' PARK ...
2008/9 NEWCASTLE 2 WEST HAM 2
NEWCASTLE: Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Geremi (N'Zogbia 62), Duff, Owen, Carroll. Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Edgar, LuaLua, Donaldson.
WEST HAM: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Mullins 86), Collison (Boa Morte 76), Cole,B ellamy (Di Michele 81). Subs Not Used: Stech, Faubert, Tristan, Tomkins.
Att: 47,571
Andy Carroll headed a priceless late equaliser to salvage a point for Newcastle at St James' Park as Joe Kinnear's men produced a hit-and-miss performance to just about keep the crisis talk at bay.
Carroll, 20 last Tuesday, could hardly have picked a better time to grab his first league goal with the storm clouds lurking after Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole had cancelled out Michael Owen's early strike.
A single point is hardly what the home fans expected and with a number of top stars still linked with the exit door Kinnear can still expect a mighty relegation battle until the season's end.
But the sighs of relief were evident all around the stadium when Carroll, who had looked lively throughout, leaped highest to steer a deep left-wing cross from Damien Duff into the top of the net.
Despite another fractious build-up week the home side had started well and Carroll had the first chance in the second minute when Owen created space for him to drive a shot into the legs of Matthew Upson.
And the home side were closer in the eighth minute when Carroll glanced a right-wing cross from Damien Duff goalwards but James Collins headed clear despite appeals for a penalty.
Owen had a superb chance to put Newcastle in front in the 13th minute after being fed by Jonas Gutierrez on the right and cutting a low shot across goal which clipped the base of Robert Green's left-hand post on its way out.
But there early glimpses of the startling holes in the home defence with Bellamy seeing a 14th minute header bundled clear by Fabricio Coloccini after he had been left unmarked in the box.
But when Owen got his opener it was well deserved, the striker fed on the left by Jose Enrique and advancing to the edge of the box before hitting a low right-foot shot past Robert Green.
Newcastle should have gone further ahead in the 25th minute after a fine right-wing cross by Duff reached Carroll at the far post but the striker mis-timed his jump for a simple close-range header.
Then Bellamy came back to haunt his former club in the 29th minute when he nipped onto the end of a clever Scott Parker ball in the box before neatly lifting his shot over the advancing Given into the net.
Kinnear's men almost regained the lead in the 34th minute when Geremi's long-range free-kick clattered into Collins and rebounded into the path of Gutierrez, who lashed a powerful effort into the side-netting.
Then Carroll had a loud penalty appeal turned down in the 39th minute when he collapsed under the challenge of Collins in the box as the pair sought to deal with high ball into the box from Duff.
The Hammers should have gone in ahead at the break when Neill sent Mark Noble clean through in the 42nd minute but his shot was parried by Given and Bellamy's follow-up from a tight angle found the side-netting.
And the visitors were denied what appeared to be a blatant penalty moments after the restart when Sebastien Bassong used his arm to prevent Bellamy reaching a loose ball in the box.
Cole, anonymous in the first half, was coming more into the game and being afforded a ridiculous amount of space in the left channel, but the home side failed to heed a host of warnings.
And Cole duly lashed the Hammers into a deserved lead in the 55th minute when he controlled a long ball from Herita Ilunga in the left side of the box and screwed a superb left-foot shot into the top corner.
The busy Collins got in a fine saving challenge to deny Carroll a shot on goal just before the hour, then the apparently wantaway N'Zogbia was roundly booed when he was introduced in place of Geremi.
Neill's blushes were spared in the 67th minute when he mis-kicked the ball into his own net from a Fabricio Coloccini cross only for referee Alan Wiley to blow up for a push by Taylor on Collins.
But the home side clinched their equaliser in the 78th minute when Carroll jumped highest to meet a high cross from the right by Duff and steered the ball past a helpless Green.
TOON v HAMMERS HISTORY ...
2010/2011 Sat 23 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2008/2009 Sat 10 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premier League
Sat 20 Sep West Ham Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2007/2008 Sat 26 Apr West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sun 23 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premier League
2006/2007 Sat 20 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sun 17 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 17 Dec West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 11 Jan West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 19 Aug Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Sat 27 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sun 23 Sep West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2000/2001 Mon 16 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 28 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1999/2000 Wed 12 Apr West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 03 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1998/1999 Sat 20 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 31 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1997/1998 Sat 07 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1996/1997 Tue 06 May West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 16 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1995/1996 Mon 18 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 21 Feb West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1994/1995 Wed 08 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 31 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1993/1994 Sat 19 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1992/1993 Sun 21 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. League Division One
Sat 29 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. League Division One
1990/1991 Wed 24 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 22 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1989/1990 Sat 28 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 11 Nov West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1988/1989 Wed 03 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 22 Oct West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1987/1988 Sat 07 May Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Dec West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1986/1987 Sat 02 May West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sun 30 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1985/1986 Mon 21 Apr West Ham Utd. 8 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 05 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1984/1985 Sat 02 Feb West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 29 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
1980/1981 Sat 07 Mar West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 04 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1979/1980 Sat 15 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 06 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1978/1979 Sat 24 Mar West Ham Utd. 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Wed 23 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1977/1978 Sat 21 Jan West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 West Ham Utd. First Division
1976/1977 Sat 16 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Nov West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1975/1976 Sat 13 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Oct West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1974/1975 Fri 28 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 31 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1973/1974 Sat 19 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 25 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1972/1973 Sat 07 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 02 Dec West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1971/1972 Sat 18 Dec West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 04 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1970/1971 Sat 24 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1969/1970 Mon 02 Mar Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 09 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1968/1969 Sat 01 Mar West Ham Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 10 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
1967/1968 Sat 06 Apr West Ham Utd. 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1966/1967 Wed 26 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Nov West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1965/1966 Sat 08 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Dec West Ham Utd. 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1960/1961 Sat 01 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 10 Dec Newcastle Utd. 5 - 5 West Ham Utd. First Division
1959/1960 Sat 20 Feb West Ham Utd. 3 - 5 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1958/1959 Mon 30 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Fri 27 Mar West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1947/1948 Sat 28 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 11 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1946/1947 Mon 26 May Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 02 Nov West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1938/1939 Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 22 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1937/1938 Sat 12 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 30 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1936/1937 Wed 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 5 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Mon 31 Aug West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1935/1936 Sat 21 Mar West Ham Utd. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 02 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1934/1935 Sat 23 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 13 Oct West Ham Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1931/1932 Sat 30 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Sep West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Mon 26 Jan West Ham Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1929/1930 Sat 03 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Mon 09 Sep West Ham Utd. 5 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1928/1929 Wed 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Tue 25 Dec West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1927/1928 Sat 05 May Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 24 Dec West Ham Utd. 5 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1926/1927 Sat 23 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 04 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1925/1926 Sat 06 Feb Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Sep West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1924/1925 Wed 17 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Mon 08 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1923/1924 Sat 13 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 06 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1914/1915 Sat 16 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 West Ham Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 09 Jan West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
1908/1909 Wed 24 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 20 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
1907/1908 Sat 01 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. F.A. Cup
WEST HAM RECENT RESULTS ...
West Ham 2 Wolves 0
JANUARY 1: Barclays Premier League at Upton Park.
West Ham 1 Everton 1
DECEMBER 28: Barclays Premier League at Upton Park.
Fulham 1 West Ham 3
DECEMBER 26: Barclays Premier League at Craven Cottage.
Blackburn 1 West Ham 1
DECEMBER 18: Barclays Premier League at Ewood Park.
West Ham 1 Manchester City 3
DECEMBER 11: Barclays Premier League at Upton Park.
Sunderland 1 West Ham 0
DECEMBER 5: Barclays Premier League at the Stadium of Light.
WEST HAM'S LAST GAME ...
WEST HAM 2 WOLVES 0
West Ham Green, Ben-Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon, Sears, Parker, Kovac, Stanislas (Noble 69), Cole, Piquionne.
Freddie Sears put the seal on a sweet victory for West Ham as they climbed out of the relegation zone and sent Wolves crashing to the foot of the Barclays Premier League.
Winger Sears, a product of the club's academy and lifelong Hammers fan, struck from 15 yards in the 79th minute for his first goal since scoring on his debut in March 2008.
West Ham were already ahead by that stage, but they owed a debt of gratitude to Wolves' Ronald Zubar for their 51st-minute opener, the right-back letting the ball trickle in off his knee after Carlton Cole had taken an air shot.
Wolves had plenty of chances but Mick McCarthy's side, who won at Liverpool in midweek, could not find a way past Robert Green.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake did beat the England goalkeeper but headed against the crossbar shortly before Sears scored the second goal.
West Ham boss Avram Grant, who for so long has been under pressure, might find that eases now.
Grant made four changes to his team after their 1-1 draw with Everton, bringing back Cole, Tal Ben Haim, Danny Gabbidon and Junior Stanislas who all featured in the Boxing Day win at Fulham, while Wolves were unchanged following their Anfield success.
Wolves went close when Stephen Hunt almost curled a corner from the right inside the near post, but Frederic Piquionne headed over his own bar.
Cole and Piquionne combined for the first time in the 10th minute, culminating in the latter lashing a 20-yard strike high and wide.
With Hunt on the left and Matt Jarvis on the right, Wolves had plenty of quality, while Hammers wideman Stanislas was also heavily involved early on and the hosts might have benefited had his crossing been of a higher standard.
Wolves won their fifth corner in the 19th minute and Hunt's delivery was a good one, culminating in Ebanks-Blake heading straight at Green.
At the other end, Sears sidestepped Christophe Berra before drilling a left-footed shot which Wayne Hennessey dealt with comfortably.
Cole should have scored after captain Scott Parker threaded a pass through the Wolves defence and into the striker's path, but the former Chelsea frontman made a hash of his finish from 10 yards and the ball bobbled wide of the left post.
Piquionne and Richard Stearman clashed off the ball just after the half-hour mark, when the French striker lashed out but escaped with a warning from referee Lee Probert.
West Ham went close to taking the lead when Stearman, on the goalline, booted away a firm shot from Sears.
Wolves had the first opening of the second half when smart play from Hunt fed Ebanks-Blake.
The striker's wayward shot took a deflection to bring about a corner, and then came a flurry of attempts on Green's goal, but Ebanks-Blake and Berra were foiled with headers and Green kept out a crisp left-footed strike from Stephen Ward before Nenad Milijas headed over from close range.
The visitors were dealt a huge blow after 51 minutes when West Ham took the lead in bizarre circumstances.
Piquionne sprinted down the right and sent over a cross which Cole ought to have smashed past Hennessey.
The striker missed his kick, yet his blushes were spared by Zubar, with the ball trickling off the defender's knee and into the bottom right corner.
Stearman was booked for a foul on Parker, with the crowd baying for a heavier punishment.
Upson looked a certain scorer in the 61st minute when he met a corner from Parker, but Hennessey managed to turn his header against the crossbar.
Mark Noble came off the bench to replace Stanislas after 70 minutes, and Wolves made a double switch when Steven Fletcher and David Edwards replaced George Elokobi and Hunt.
Ebanks-Blake should have equalised after 76 minutes but planted his close-range header against the bar after Fletcher picked him out with a cross from the right.
The cost of that miss was emphasised three minutes later when Sears steered Ben Haim's measured delivery from the right into the bottom left corner.
Sears, 21, celebrated exuberantly in front of the joyous home fans, who after seeing Avram Grant's side take eight points from a four-match unbeaten run can look forward to the rest of 2011 with growing optimism.