WEST Ham probably wish it could be Christmas every day, as the song goes.

The festive period could hardly have gone better for them.

The Hammers won two of their three games and drew the other.

The 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on New Year's Day made it seven points out of a possible nine and propelled Grant's side off the bottom and out of the relegation zone.

Grant, a man often criticised for not showing much emotion in public, could scarcely hide his joy after Wolves were dumped to the bottom of the Premier League following Saturday's victory.

"It has been a very good week for us," he beamed. "We know we are not a team that should be bottom of the league. It's a good feeling (to be off the bottom)."

Of course, there is still much hard work to be done and there is something else the Hammers will also need in their battle to avoid the drop - luck.

Though West Ham were good value for their win against Mick McCarthy's Wolves, they also rode their luck on occasions.

And they needed an incredible piece of luck to break the deadlock early in the second half, Frederic Piquionne's cross turned into his own net by Ronald Zubar, sparing Carlton Cole's blushes, the striker having completely missed the ball with the goal at his mercy.

Freddie Sears wrapped it up late on when he swept home Tal Ben Haim's centre, after both sides had struck the crossbar.

It was the sort of game that could have gone either way.

The fact West Ham keeper Robert Green was named man of the match was further evidence that Wolves did not lie down without a fight.

Green had to pull off a number of saves, especially at the start of the second half, just before Zubar's slice of misfortune handed the hosts the initiative.

But football is all about winning and West Ham are not bothered how those wins come about at the moment.

And seven points over the festive period has given them a real chance of escaping the dreaded drop.

"We needed to get these points and I'm very happy," Grant summed up.