THERE could have been no better preparation for a fierce London derby than a vital victory against one of your closest relegation rivals.

But, rather than being a catalyst for an upturn in form and a quick scamper up the Premier League table, West Ham’s 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day instead took the force out of the Hammers, to the point that they resembled blunt instruments against a grateful Tottenham team gunning for a top-four place.

West Ham were no match for their neighbours at White Hart Lane on Monday.

Deprived of the services of Carlton Cole and Mark Noble, the visitors then suffered a treble blow when Luka Modric volleyed Spurs in front before the Irons’ leading light in recent weeks Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga hobbled off with respective hamstring injuries.

Even so, that was no excuse for the lack of appetite the team showed during a dismal first half that witnessed a solitary shot on target.

No doubt the players had their fill when they sat round the dinner table on Christmas Day, but they should have shown a great deal more hunger four days later.

To their credit, the team did raise their game in the second half and, while the chances never came, they did at one stage have their hosts rattled during a period of pressure. That ended when Tottenham scored a breakaway goal from the irrepressible Jermain Defoe, who fired a shot into the top corner with ten minutes left after Robert Green had parried his first attempt back to his feet.

Guillermo Franco toiled up front but found little in the way of support. Alessandro Diamanti was visibly frustrated by his negligible effect on the game from the left wing. Valon Behrami and Radoslav Kovac were overrun by Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios, while Jonathan Spector was spun into a daze by World Cup-bound Aaron Lennon.

Despite the gulf in class, manager Gianfranco Zola was optimistic afterwards: “I’m delighted with the way the players played in the second half and with that kind of attitude and spirit it’s not going to be long before we come back winning,” he said.

It is difficult to be too harsh on West Ham, given that the club are forced to operate on a fraction of the budget that Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has at his disposal.

Questions remain about whether a buyer will be found in the coming weeks to provide the funds Zola badly needs to pad out his thinning squad. Former Birmingham City owners David Gold and David Sullivan are believed to have seen their bid rejected, while reports are emerging that London-based financial company Intermarket are preparing a £100million package to purchase the club.