Anton Ferdinand has spoken of the "special" feeling he got after scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 home success against Fulham.
The homegrown defender is making a habit of crucial strikes - having hit the equaliser a fortnight ago against Manchester United - and showed plenty of composure when this latest opportunity came his way on Saturday. "Scoring at Upton Park is special, to hear the roar is unreal," he told WHUTV. "To score the winner in a game we deserved to win was very good."
Whereas his effort in the 2-1 win against the champions was a powerful header, this time he met Mark Noble's cross with with a fierce shot that just nicked a defender on its way past goalkeeper Antti Niemi. Ferdinand said: "Nobes said afterwards that he was going to leave it but it is good he went after it. He pulled back a great ball and that was the only place that he could really pull it back to.
"I held my ground and I am just lucky to get that little deflection and it went in," he added, before claiming "I am not the best in training with shooting from the floor". That said, Fulham and Niemi will know all about the defender's eye for goal - having been on the receiving end as well almost exactly two years ago - that time from a sublime volley as the Hammers also won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground.
As he did back in January 2006, Ferdinand celebrated in fitting fashion. This time he shared a dance with a few of the celebrating supporters in the Bobby Moore Stand. Yet for all his delight, he was also a relieved man because he claimed he was at fault for Fulham's opener from Simon Davies - losing Carlos Bocanegra which in turn allowed the American to distract Robert Green.
"I was caught out for the first goal. I was the wrong side but to come back and score the winner - that makes up for it. I am going to analyse my game, see the things I didn't do right and put them right. It is just nice to get the three points and well done to the boys."