West Ham 1 Bradford 0

Last updated : 26 August 2003 By Sam

Stand-in boss Trevor Brooking slipped on his caretaker overcoat once more for a triumphant return as West Ham got back to winning ways following their defeat at Rotherham.

Two days after the sacking of Glen Roeder, Jermain Defoe's brilliant 32nd minute winner proved the difference between the Hammers and a Bradford side which was short on guile but long on defiance.

"Jermain scored a goal that no-one else in the country could have got, " smiled the former England international.

"It's been a difficult summer, we've had some traumatic times but now we've got to move on.

"Our attitude and spirit was good and I'm very grateful with the way the crowd have backed us. And Glenn Roeder even left a message on my mobile wishing me good luck and hoping that we'd get three points." Brooking carried on where he left off last season, boldly fielding the 4-3-3 formation that had brought him within a whisker of saving Hammers from the drop.

But, ironically, it was the Bantams who nearly took early flight when Andy Gray burst through and forced David James into a low fourth-minute save.

The Hammers soon started to find their shooting boots however as Defoe, Michael Carrick, Neil Mellor and Matthew Etherington peppered Mark Paston's goal.

And City's cause was not helped when Dean Windass hobbled off following Tomas Repka's juddering lunge, for which he was cautioned.

On the half hour David Connolly's teasing 20-yard chip just cleared the Bradford bar, but that was to prove only brief respite for the Yorkshiremen.

Just seconds later, Defoe weaved his way across field before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yarder that fizzed past the flying Paston before going into the right hand corner of the net.

And only the defiance of the City keeper twice prevented the livewire England Under-21 striker from increasing the home side's lead.

And while Connolly's effort was also deflected onto the bar, at the other end Gareth Edds spurned a great chance to make it all square at the interval.

Seconds after the restart the excellent Carrick released Etherington who saw his point blank effort cannon of Paston's outstretched leg and that was to prove the story of the half for a West Ham side who simply could not convert a mountain of chances into an avalanche of goals.

"We had some good chances and we've done ourselves proud," observed Bantams boss Nicky Law after seeing James palm over efforts from both Gray and Michael Standing.

"It's ironic that West Ham have had to sack their manager to get a reaction and a result."