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Craig Bellamy produced a stunning solo display as West Ham beat Portsmouth for the first time in the Premier League.

Highlights

The winger fittingly lashed in West Ham’s third at the second attempt after racing clear from halfway and side-footed in the fourth from 12 yards.

Nadir Belhadj fired Pompey ahead from 10 yards, but Jack Collison rifled past an unsighted David James to level.

Pompey’s Jermain Defoe missed a penalty before Carlton Cole tapped in a second for West Ham after another Bellamy run.

Marc Wilson, making his Premier League debut for Pompey, was constantly tested in the first half as West Ham looked to make use of Bellamy’s trickery down their left.

But for all their early endeavour, a Bellamy free-kick that cleared the crossbar and a Cole stab wide was all the visitors could muster before Portsmouth took the lead.

They worked the ball out to the right flank and Glen Little swung over a deep cross beyond the back post where Crouch pulled the ball down before setting up Belhadj to sweep home from 10 yards after eight minutes.

West Ham, who had only scored twice in their last six games, again failed to find the target moments later when Collison shot wide.

But the midfielder made amends, firing in the equaliser from 12 yards on 20 minutes after taking advantage of Mark Noble’s quick free-kick and a Bellamy dummy.

Noble found Cole down the left and he teed up Noble to fire through an unsighted James in the Pompey goal.

THIS SEASON’S REVERSE FIXTURE

West Ham United 0-0 Portsmouth

15 November 2008 – Ref: Martin Atkinson

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