West Brom vs West Ham match report: Mark Noble's double secures impressive away win for the Hammers

West Bromwich Albion 0 West Ham United 3

Noble's double sealed the points for Slaven Bilic's side (Getty)

Mark Noble produced another masterclass to ensure West Ham United heaped more pressure on Manchester United in the race for European qualification.

After his two penalties last week returned the Hammers to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League, the long-serving skipper came up with another well-taken double to secure a comfortable victory over West Bromwich Albion to lift his side above United.

Though Champions League qualification seems beyond West Ham’s reach, they climbed above their closest rivals for a Europa League spot with this latest success.

After Cheikhou Kouyate had taken the sting out West Brom’s lively start with a cleverly angled header in the 34th minute, Noble took centre stage by confirming that he has found his scoring touch at a defining stage of the Hammers’ excellent campaign.

Kouyate celebrates scoring the game's opening goal (Getty)

Albion boss Tony Pulis said: “They’re a good team with some fantastic players who punish you if you give them chances and I thought Noble was outstanding today.

“It’s disappointing from our point of view because we created some good chances in the first half hour, but didn’t get the breaks when we needed them.”

He added: “It’s been a familiar story of late. Once again, we’ve had our opportunities when playing at home, but have not put them away and paid the price.”

Pulis’ side had made a promising start to the game, none more so than the teenage debutant Jonathan Leko, who gave Aaron Cresswell some uneasy moments with his skill and pace from a standing start on the right wing.

On two occasions, it was West Ham’s other full-back, Michail Antonio who proved to be their saviour by denying Craig Gardner, although in the second instance he got only the faintest of touches to keep our a curling left foot shot.

Noble doubled the away side's lead before the break (Getty)

As the Hammers imposed themselves more and more on the contest, it was Payet predictably enough with the telling contribution eleven minutes before the break as he popped up on the right to deliver a pinpoint cross which Kouyate headed back across goal beyond the reach of Ben Foster and just inside his left hand post.

Their second goal in injury time at the end of the first period was almost as straightforward in its creation and execution as the first.

This time, Kouyate turned creator as he burst clear of a flagging Gareth McAuley and squared the ball into the path of the incoming Noble, who took one touch before calmly stabbing his close range shot past a helpless Foster.

As they had done in the early stages of the first half, Albion exerted plenty of pressure after the break and their best moment fell to Saido Berahino within seconds of his introduction as he dragged a shot wide of Adrian’s right hand post.

Any hope they had of threatening West Ham’s clear advantage was well and truly extinguished when Noble volleyed his second into the roof of the net eleven minutes from time after Andy Carroll had teed him with a cross from the left.

West Bromwich Albion (4-2-3-1): Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Evans, Yacob (Sandro), Fletcher, Leko, Gardner (Sessegnon), McClean (Berahino), Rondon.

Subs not used: Chester, Myhill, Lambert, Roberts.

West Ham United (4-3-3): Adrian, Antonio, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble (Moses), Kouyate, Lanzini (Oxford), Sakho (Eminike), Carroll, Payet.

Subs not used: Randolph, Tomkins, Collins, Byram.

Referee: L Mason

Attendance: 25,031