Rampant Liverpool outgun West Ham

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LONDON, England -- Liverpool gave West Ham a lesson in finishing as brilliant goals from Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch gave them a 2-1 victory at Upton Park.

Kuyt's long distance drive opened the scoring just after half-time, and seven minutes later Crouch tucked the ball beyond Roy Carroll after a well-worked move.

A debut goal for substitute Kepa Blanco gave West Ham hope on 77 minutes, but the defeat means that Alan Curbishley has now won just one of his eight league games as their manager.

Victory moves Liverpool within two points of second-placed Chelsea, while West Ham are left in the bottom three.

In a bid to stop the rot, Curbishley made three changes from the side which lost to Watford in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Sami Hyypia and Craig Bellamy returned to Rafa Benitez's starting line-up, and Liverpool's 4-3-3 formation caused initial problems for West Ham.

George McCartney made a great stop on six minutes to deny Crouch, and then Jamie Carragher blazed over the bar following a well-worked free kick.

Xabi Alonso came close for Liverpool on 31 minutes but, after that miss, West Ham sparked into life.

A great turn and shot by captain Nigel Reo-Coker brought the home supporters to their feet, and then on 34 minutes Harewood came even closer to breaking the deadlock.

His superb 25-yard drilled shot was heading for the far corner of Pepe Reina's goal, but the Spanish goalkeeper managed to tip the ball wide at full stretch to send the sides in on even terms at half-time.

Whatever it was that Benitez said in the 15-minute interval worked wonders, as it took just 12 seconds of the second-half for his side to find the net.

Straight from kick off Steven Gerrard picked out Crouch, who in turn found strike partner Kuyt. The Dutchman hit a first time effort from 25 yards which flew straight over Carroll, off the underside of the crossbar, and into the net.

It was a wonderful strike, and marked Kuyt's ninth Premiership goal of the term.

Moments later Gerrard almost produced a carbon copy strike, and on 53 minutes Liverpool sealed the points after a superb demonstration of pass and move football.

The build up play involved Gerrard, Alonso and Bellamy, before John Arne Riise's cutback teed up Crouch to side-foot the ball into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area.

Curbishley was left with his head in his hands, and Bellamy almost added to the woe as he came close with three efforts in quick succession.

Harewood had a penalty appeal turned down after a challenge by Riise as West Ham moved forward in hope of a lifeline.

Harewood was then replaced, as Blanco made his bow with 15 minutes remaining. Within 90 seconds he made his mark too, sliding in to convert a cross from Zamora six yards out.

They were unable to find the leveller though, as Luis Boa Morte's last minute fall in the area proved their last hope of salvaging a point.

In other matches, Reading condemned Wigan to a club record eighth consecutive league defeat with a 3-2 win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested.

Although Wigan snatched an early lead through Emile Heskey, Steve Coppell's side were on top for most of the contest, goals from Ivar Ingimarsson, Shane Long and Leroy Lita making the game safe before Denny Landzaat scored a last-minute consolation effort for the visitors.

Meanwhile, Jon Stead opened his goalscoring account for Sheffield United as the Blades took another huge step towards Premiership survival by beating Fulham 2-0.

Stead, a £750,000 signing from Sunderland earlier this month, ended a 10-match goalscoring drought to give Neil Warnock's side the lead mid-way through the first half. Midfielder Michael Tonge added a close-range second five minutes later.

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