Football: West Ham warm up for a long summer

West Ham United 5 Derby County 1

THERE WAS just a hint of demob happiness in the air at Upton Park on Saturday, although the Derby defenders should probably be subjected to a serious debagging before they are demobbed and on this form West Ham will be wishing the season still had months to run.

Prior to the game it was a question of working out what, if anything, there was to play for now there is no possibility of the fifth-placed team in the Premiership qualifying for the Uefa Cup. Suddenly the much- maligned Intertoto Cup has become the object of several teams' desires, including the Hammers and, so we thought, Derby.

In his programme notes Harry Redknapp explained that, as his side's involvement would not start before mid-July, it was no longer such an inconvenience to take part in the competition. Jim Smith, the Derby manager, feels differently. "It means we'd have six extra games on to our season and then get knocked out by Real Madrid in the first round of the Uefa Cup," he said.

Whatever view you share, West Ham still have something to play for now, Derby do not and the outcome of this match was an accurate reflection of all that, notwithstanding Derby's lengthy list of absentees.

They started brightly, deploying a 4-3-3 which confounded West Ham's wing-back formation and created a few excellent openings in the first 10 minutes. But once Paolo Di Canio had opened the scoring with a deflected shot against the run of play, Derby capitulated and West Ham went from strength to strength.

Di Canio was irrepressible in the first half, setting up a second goal for Eyal Berkovic, being denied a second himself by Russell Hoult's fingertips and rounding the half off with a dazzling run that brought the 25,000 crowd to its feet.

Ian Wright, on as a substitute in the 18th minute following an injury to Steve Potts, helped himself to a tap-in following Hoult's handling error, and Neil Ruddock and Trevor Sinclair applied the finishing touches in the air to some fine teamwork.

The West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop made two or three superb saves, one in particular from Paulo Wanchope, who grabbed a late consolation for the visitors. But although he had a quiet second half, Di Canio was the spark for this goal explosion.

Goals: Di Canio (19) 1-0; Berkovic (28) 2-0; Wright (55) 3-0; Ruddock (64) 4-0; Sinclair (68) 5-0; Wanchope (79) 5-1.

West Ham United (5-3-2): Hislop; Lomas (Cole, 71), Potts (Wright, 18), Pearce, Ruddock, Minto; Berkovic, Foe, Lampard; Sinclair, Di Canio. Substitutes not used: Keller, Moncur, Forrest (gk).

Derby County (4-3-3): Hoult; Laursen, Prior, Carbonari, Dorigo (Harper, 32); Bohinen, Schnoor, Powell; Sturridge, Wanchope, Beck (Murray, 58). Substitutes not used: Jackson, Christie, Poom (gk).

Referee: K Burge (Tonypandy). Bookings: West Ham: Wright. Derby: Sturridge.

Man of the match: Hislop.

Attendance: 25,485.