Torres off the mark as Hammers hit rock bottom

WEST HAM dropped to the bottom of the Premier League table after they were brushed aside by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Hammers will rue several missed chances with the scores at 0-0 and 1-0, but goals from ex-Iron Frank Lampard, a first in blue for Fernando Torres and a cracker from Florent Malouda ensured - with four games to go - that West Ham prop up the rest of the division.

Chelsea should have taken the lead before two minutes were up, Salomon Kalou racing onto a flick from Didier Drogba, but Robert Green was quick off his line and made the save at the winger's feet.

It was the hosts that had the better of the opening quarter, Malouda dragging a shot wide, while Wayne Bridge had to be alert to beat Kalou to a dangerous ball through.

Demba Ba forced Petr Cech into tipping his shot from range over the bar, and Freddie Sears' flick from a Mark Noble corner was dealt with on the line by a combination of the keeper and Ashley Cole.

The away side were gaining in confidence, and they almost grabbed the lead with a classic breakaway.

Carlton Cole fed Sears down the left and the young forward appeared to be en route to goal, but Ashley Cole got back to apply the brakes to the attack. Nevertheless, Sears regained his composure and lofted a cross to the back post, where Jonathan Spector arrived with a diving header that seemed bound for the bottom corner, only for Cech to parry wide.

West Ham then missed a golden opportunity to take the lead, Kalou giving away possession and Ba leading the break. A simple ball into the path of his strike partner was all that was required to send Cole through on goal, but the pass was criminally overhit and the chance was gone.

It was almost against the run of play that the goal arrived with two minutes of the half to play.

Drogba threaded an excellent ball inside Lars Jacobsen and Cole raced onto it, dragging the ball back for Lampard to smash high into the roof of the net.

Somewhat ominously for the Hammers, a number of the floodlights failed as a clap of thunder roared overhead; a sign that their hopes of survival are growing dimmer by the minute.

It was harsh on the visitors, who had largely repelled the hosts' advances, while giving the likes of John Terry and David Luiz a few headaches down the other end, with Cole winning his fair share of aerial balls.

After the break, Manuel Da Costa had to be alert to hoist a header off the line. Mark Noble was then stretchered off injured, with Robbie Keane coming on in his place.

Chelsea almost put the game to bed when Luiz tried his luck from distance, his shot curling past the stranded Green but landing squarely on the crossbar.

Ba then saw another long range effort parried high into the air by Cech, before Cole found himself with the ball at his feet inside the area after collecting a pass from Sears. However, his effort was blocked and the danger was cleared.

Keane then ought to have drawn West Ham level, and there would be few observers that would have begrudged them an equaliser, given their efforts throughout the game.

Spector, who was arguably the Hammers' best player on display, surged forward and picked out the run of the Irishman, but his first-time shot was wide of the target, when the net should have bulged.

That was to be the end of the visitors' hopes, as Torres entered the fray for Drogba and finally began the repayment on his £50million price tag.

Another substitute, Nicholas Anelka, dinked a clever ball into the Spaniard's path, but his bad luck seemed to have followed him once again when the ball got caught up in a particularly damp patch in the box. Instead, though, it enabled the striker to swivel and steer a left-footed shot inside the far post, sparking wild celebrations on and off the pitch.

The scoring was rounded off by Malouda in fine fashion, the Frenchman latching on to a Torres pass and drilling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

A draw for Wolves against Fulham earlier in the day means West Ham now sit in 20th position, with a trip to Manchester City to come next week.

West Ham: Green; Gabbidon, Da Costa, Jacobsen, Bridge; Hitzlsperger, Noble (Keane), Spector; Ba, Sears (Obinna), Cole (Piquionne). Subs: Boffin, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Kovac