Late double gives West Ham victory

LONDON, England -- Two late goals ended West Ham's three-match losing run, as substitutes Nolberto Solano and Luis Boa Morte changed the course of the game to give the London side a 3-1 Premier League home victory over Sunderland.

The Hammers took a ninth minute lead when striker Carlton Cole notched his first goal of the season in the ninth minute.

Midfielder Hayden Mullins sent George McCartney away down the left and the full back's fine cross was looped in over goalkeeper Craig Gordon by Cole's header in only his third start of the season.

However, Sunderland fought back and seemed likely to take at least a point when Kenwyne Jones headed them level from a Grant Leadbitter corner seven minutes into the second half.

With the home crowd getting impatient, Hammers manager Alan Curbishley made a double change -- and it paid off in the 78th minute when Boa Morte's cross from the left was deflected to Solano in acres of space at the far post.

The Peruvian applied a careful finish that beat keeper Gordon and came back off a post -- only to dribble back into the net off the luckless Scotsman's legs.

Then, in injury time, another Boa Morte run laid on a simple tap-in for the deserving Craig Bellamy to add a third goal and halt West Ham's losing run of three consecutive matches.

Curbishley admitted the result flattered his side, but added: "We'll take it because there's going to be another time we have the lion's share of a game and come out with nothing."

Sunderland manager Roy Keane said: "I think we deserved something out of the game but that's football, we gave away a couple of sloppy goals and got punished. E-mail to a friend