- West Ham United win second straight Premier League away match by defeating Southampton
- Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble on target in first-ever victory at St Mary's
- Hammers have scored ten goals in their last four away games
West Ham United came from behind to win for the first time this season with a 3-1 Premier League victory at Southampton.
The Hammers, who won at St Mary’s for the first time in seven attempts, edged a lively game full of chances at both ends courtesy of Andy Carroll’s sixth of the season, a first goal in Claret and Blue from Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble’s deflected free-kick.
Slaven Bilic’s side, whose only previous points gained from losing positions came in draws with Middlesbrough and Liverpool before Christmas, also made it three away top-flight wins in a row.
It was Southampton who took an early lead through debutant Manolo Gabbiadini, the Italy striker celebrating his January move from Napoli by latching onto Steven Davis’s through ball and rifling high past Darren Randolph.
However, the Saints’ lead lasted only two minutes before Obiang played a perfectly-weighted through ball for Carroll, who confidently slotted his fourth in four matches past England goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Having equalised, the visitors gained confidence as the first half wore on, with the impressive Aaron Cresswell testing Forster with a low shot on the half-hour mark.
While Southampton continued to carry a threat themselves, it was no surprise when West Ham deservedly went ahead a minute before the break.
Cresswell forced a corner, which was headed only as far as the advancing Obiang. The Spaniard took a touch, steadied himself and fired his first goal in 55 Hammers appearances into Forster’s bottom left-hand corner.
There was still time for Randolph to show why he has made the No1 jersey his own in added time, as the Irishman dived low to push James Ward-Prowse’s goal-bound shot well away from danger.
The same pair were involved three minutes after the break, when the midfielder’s dipping free-kick was pushed safely around the post by the Bray-born stopper.
After another fine piece of defending from a resurgent Cresswell, who caught the eye alongside fellow former Hammer of the Year Mark Noble, led to the counter-attack which produced West Ham’s third.
Full debutant Robert Snodgrass was brought down on the edge of the penalty area and it was Noble whose free-kick deflected into the net via his opposite number Davis.
Claude Puel, who had changed personnel and formation at half-time, sent on Shane Long, and the No9 forced fellow countryman Randolph to tip his header over the bar before sending a skimming 25-yard shot flashing past his right-hand post.
With the home side upping the pressure, Randolph was called into action again with 16 minutes to go, but he held Davis’s long-range effort, before Maya Yoshida volleyed Nathan Redmond’s hanging cross into the stand.
When Fonte’s fellow UEFA Euro 2016 champion Cedric launched a shot high into the night with five minutes remaining, it was the cue for the home fans to make for the exits.
Meanwhile, the 3,388-strong Claret and Blue Army did what they had done all afternoon – sing their hearts out for their lads.
Southampton: Forster, Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Boufal (Long 64), Davis ©, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez (Redmond 46), Gabbiadini
Subs not used: Taylor, Clasie, Gardos, Hojbjerg, McQueen
Goal: Gabbiadini 12
West Ham United: Randolph, Kouyate (Collins 71), Fonte, Reid, Feghouli (Calleri 90+1), Obiang, Noble ©, Cresswell, Snodgrass, Antonio, Carroll (Lanzini 56)
Subs not used: Adrian, Fletcher, Fernandes, Quina
Goals: Carroll 14, Obiang 44, Noble 52
Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 31,891 (3,388 Away)