Conners: We Deserved It

David Connolly feels that West Ham were full value for the win at the JJB stadium on Saturday - and hopes the side can continue the winning habit now.

Back to back wins have now stretched the unbeaten away record to eight games, and David says:

"I felt we had lots of chances, I had quite a few, and I felt the lads played well - we deserved the win.

"I think you would always go for the league points but we won it and we are in the next round.

"It is good for the fans to see the team winning every week which is what we want to be doing - and we hope it will continue.

"It is especially good to beat a side like Wigan who are right up there and a good team - it was a great result away from home."

With Jermain Defoe suspended the Hammers reverted to a traditional 4-4-2 formation, and, while David has been more than happy to play off the front two in recent games, there was no disguising his delight when Wayne Quinn set him up down the left to cut inside and smash home the second goal of the game.

"It was nice to be back up front and I felt more comfortable up there," he says.

"That is my natural position, I scored a lot of goals there last season, and I immediately felt more at home.

"As the game went on I got used to it again and it was enjoyable.

"It was a great through ball from Wayne Quinn and it was great to score."

With Jermain out for four more games, will David continue in the role?

"I don't know; there have been a lot of hard games recently and we will see what the manager does."

David was delighted that Neil Mellor came on in the second half to set up Hayden Mullins for the opener and, in the continued absence of Brian Deane with an ankle problem, his presence was important.

"Mells came on and was involved in the first goal so it was nice for him," says David.

"David James made some great saves and the back four were nice and solid though we conceded a freak own goal."

As for the next round, with the draw on Monday, David says:

"I don't have a preference as long as it is a good draw and we kick on in the league next week."

Alan Pardew was delighted with David's performance and adds:

"He has worked so hard in training and deserved his goal; I thought he might get a scrappy one but in the end it was a great one."

Alan also says that criticism of Tomas Repka is unfair, with Paul Jewell saying he should have been given a second yellow card.

Alan Pardew replaced him with fit-again Christian Dailly after a second half incident and explains:

"I thought the referee might be put under too much pressure so I brought Tomas off to get him out of trouble."

"Tomas has this reputation and it gets the fans going but I thought he wasn't doing anything untoward."