Southend 1 West Ham Utd 3: Bellamy brightens Hammers hopes

With West Ham having won only one of their first five pre-season games, against Dagenham and Redbridge, and the Carlos Tevez transfer saga dragging on, manager Alan Curbishley must have been relieved to see his side clock up an assured victory over their League One opposition.

For this friendly, to help Southend mark their centenary celebrations, West Ham were without Dean Ashton, injured again after missing the whole of last season, and Scott Parker. However, their other big summer signings, Craig Bellamy and Freddie Ljungberg at a total cost of £10.5m, were on parade and in scoring form.

Ljungberg brought a touch of Arsenal quality to his operations wide on the right, linking effectively with the overlapping captain Lucas Neill, while Bellamy's quickness off the mark regularly flustered the home back line.

Southend's best efforts at attack provided little more than heading practice for Anton Ferdinand and Danny Gabbidon as West Ham soon took command.

First, a Neill free-kick, met ferociously with Bobby Zamora's head, was repelled one-handed by Darryl Flahavan, then another Zamora header rebounded off the goal frame, as did the committed striker.

Bellamy headed straight at Flahavan, and Lee Bowyer scooped over before Zamora claimed the opening goal on the half-hour. Meeting Ljungberg's long ball, he spotted Flahavan off his line and deliberately looped his header over the keeper.

Bellamy scored easily just before the break with a bright yellow boot when Bowyer's effort rebounded from the bar. A third followed quickly on the resumption when Steve Hammell left a back-pass short. Zamora rounded Flahavan but, forced wide, rolled back an inviting ball which Ljungberg put away unfussily. Southend's captain Kevin Maher pulled one back, shooting from long range through a packed penalty box.