West Ham 3-1 Swans

Two-goal Andy Carroll helped West Ham climb to third in
the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over 10-man
Swansea at Upton Park on Sunday.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce put his neck on the line leading
into the game after revealing he opted to sign Carroll rather
than Wilfried Bony in the summer of 2013, insisting his
decision would be vindicated in time.
Bony has since lit up the league and is in a rich vein of form,
while Carroll has struggled for both fitness and form since his
club-record move to east London.
It looked as though Allardyce's comments would backfire on
him and his player when Bony put the Swans in front, but
Carroll's brace -- plus a third from returning substitute
Diafra Sakho -- sealed a come-from-behind victory to
leave just Chelsea and Manchester City above the Hammers.
Swansea ended the match a man down, with goalkeeper
Lukasz Fabianski dismissed for attempting to impede Sakho as
he bore down on goal.
West Ham were quick out of the blocks and skipper Kevin
Nolan had two good chances to open the scoring for the
Hammers but he could not connect fully with Carl Jenkinson's
cross down the right as his volley squirmed wide.
His second chance came moments later after a disguised
Stewart Downing free-kick allowed him to get a shot away,
with Fabianski making a smart stop and James Tomkins'
follow-up effort blocked.
The visitors had been second-best up until that point but were
ahead from their first chance as Jefferson Montero and Gylfi
Sigurdsson exchanged passes before the former fed Bony, who
coolly slotted home past Adrian for his 19th league goal of 2014
and his seventh in nine games.
Swansea were having less of the ball but looked more incisive
and could have doubled their lead on 26 minutes as
Sigurdsson's driven effort was pushed away by the West Ham
stopper.
Bony then came close to a second after Cheikhou Kouyate
was robbed of possession on the edge of his own area and the
Ivory Coast international arrowed a shot inches wide.
Both sides were looking dangerous in possession and Aaron
Cresswell came close to his second goal in a week but he could
only head Downing's pinpoint ball straight at Fabianski.
Carroll may not be enjoying a similar goalscoring record as
counterpart Bony, but the England international showed just
what he is capable of as he rose to head home a Jenkinson
cross five minutes before the break.
It was Bony who once again came close on the hour-mark as
he collected Montero's pass and flashed an effort past Adrian,
only to see it clip the crossbar and go behind before a goal-
kick.
West Ham were presented with a good opportunity to take
the lead as Leon Britton was caught dawdling by Nolan, who
fed substitute Sakho -- with the Senegal international's cross
poked behind for a corner.
And Carroll was on hand to leap highest and head home
Downing's corner, with the former Newcastle man running
over the embrace Allardyce and the rest of West Ham's
bench.
Things went from bad to worse for the Swans as Fabianski
was shown a straight red card moments later as he was
adjudged to have fouled Sakho as he raced through on goal.
Sakho came close to wrapping up the points but could only hit
the post when one-on-one with substitute goalkeeper Gerhard
Tremmel before Swansea looked to hit back despite their
numerical disadvantage.
But the hosts added a third courtesy of a thunderous finish
from Sakho -- his seventh league goal of the season --
courtesy of a Carroll assist to wrap up an eighth win of the
season.