A 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday restored both pride and confidence, and Sarge says: "We analysed last week's defeat with the lads on the Monday quite thoroughly, and it was something like the Rocky Horror show.
"We went through all the goals and what we thought we contributed to our downfall, but showed a lot of courage and pride on Saturday."
Nonetheless, he admits that Chelsea came out of the blocks better than West Ham, and explains: "In the first half we were just a little bit on the back foot most of the time, although we showed more ambition than we did the week before.
"Some of their attacking play in the first half was excellent and the lads at the back and David did well to keep us in the game.
"Then we grew and grew in the second half."
One of the keys, says Paul, was having more senior players on the bench, with Vladimir Labant making his first team debut and Steve Lomas making his second comeback of the season.
"To have players sitting on the bench that we want to put on made a big impact on the game," says Paul.
"Steve Lomas came on, Jermain, although he couldn't get into the game, and Vladimir - they all gave us a little bit of a step forward.
"Steve is such a game person and he is so eager to do well. He has come back just a tad quicker than we thought but he has been there, seen it, and done it before - and he gave us a lot of energy in those last 25 minutes.
"We are very pleased with Vlad since he has been over. We are still working on his fitness but you can see that he has got a good delivery of dead balls, and it is something we are going to work on in the near future."
But it was the two strikers, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Fredi Kanoute, who made the headlines, and Paul adds: "Fredi needed it and his work rate built and built on Saturday. He has been getting a little bit of stick lately and sometimes you work hard and get the goal you deserve.
"People sometimes say 'he's not running fast' but he is quick, though he knows himself that he gets caught in a sleepy mode, and we need him playing like we did in the second half.
"As for their goal, it is a fine line. Jimmy Hasselbaink is on a great vein of form at the moment and you might say that once he pulled it back onto his left foot Raggy could have tightened him up a bit more, but once he struck it with pace and bend it was unstoppable.
"Overall, we have regained a bit of pride for the fans and for us against a team of fantastic players.
"It is only the first part of the job being done, but we have got a crack at them at Upton Park, and that is a bonus.
"We are doing okay at home and it is something to look forward to - but there are two very important league games before then."