Touchline dispute mars Hammers win

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LONDON, England -- Substitute Marlon Harewood struck two minutes from time to hand West Ham United a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Upton Park on Sunday.

The burly forward converted Matthew Etherington's cross to secure a second successive league win for the Hammers, who moved out of the bottom three into 15th.

Harewood's goal prompted an unsightly shoving match on the touchline between managers Alan Pardew and Arsene Wenger with the pair needing to be separated after Wenger took exception to Pardew's exuberant celebrations.

"It was a shame, it was a tense game...I was celebrating the goal, basically, that was all and Arsene had a problem with that, probably rightly," said Pardew.

"It was nothing personal. There was nothing said. He's a top guy, I really respect him...nothing changes my opinion on that. I will apologise to him again if I need to, I was celebrating a goal, I thought I was entitled to do that.

Harewood scored 12 minutes after spurning the best chance of the game, his shot, after bursting clear, smothered by Jens Lehmann.

Arsenal, who remain fifth, created few clear-cut openings but had strong penalty claims turned down when Jonathan Spector appeared to foul Alexander Hleb.

Arsenal's Dutch forward Robin van Persie needed brief attention after he was felled by a coin thrown from the crowd. It struck the back of his head as he waited to take a throw-in late in the first half.

It was the second such unsavory incident this weekend. On Saturday, Fulham's Claus Jensen was hit on the head by a coin during their 1-0 victory over Everton, leading manager Chris Coleman to call for a prison sentence for the perpetrator.

Earlier, Aston Villa moved up to sixth as a penalty from Gareth Barry and a neat finish from Juan Pablo Angel secured Martin O'Neill's side a 2-0 win at home to Blackburn.

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