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John Walton/EMPICS Sport

Carroll inspires as West Ham's excellent run continues against Swansea

Striker grabbed a brace and an assist as the Hammers go third in the Premier League table.

ANDY CARROLL SCORED TWICE and conjured an assist for Diafra Sakho as West Ham came from behind to beat Swansea 3-1 at The Boleyn Ground.

The visitors were first to strike when Wilfried Bony continued his hot streak by slotting home a seventh goal in 10 games and his 19th in the league this calendar year, one more than Sergio Aguero.

Carroll had not hit the back of the net for West Ham since March, but produced a trademark powerful header to end a barren run of 878 minutes before the interval.

Bony went close to netting again when finding the woodwork in the second half, but it was Carroll who hit the headlines as he outjumped the Swansea defence to nod in a second-half corner.

Hopes of a comeback from the visitors were severely hampered by goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski seeing red soon after in controversial circumstances.

And Carroll turned provider late on as Diafra Sakho raced onto his flick-on to add a third as Sam Allardyce’s men made it three wins in a row.

West Ham dominated the early stages but the visitors made the most of those of their first real attack on 19 minutes. Jefferson Montero played a neat one-two with Gylfi Sigurdsson before pulling back for Bony to produce a clinical side-foot finish.

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - West Ham United v Swansea City - Upton Park Bony's goal was his 7th of the season and gave Swansea a 19th-minute lead. Scott Heavey / PA Wire/Press Association Images Scott Heavey / PA Wire/Press Association Images / PA Wire/Press Association Images

The Ivorian was inches wide with a rasping strike from 20 yards out, before West Ham enjoyed a period of sustained pressure which ended with Carroll spectacularly heading in a Jenkinson cross with four minutes of the half remaining.

West Ham began the second period by bringing on Sakho to replace Valencia, with the Senegal striker returning from a month out with a back injury. However, it was the Welsh outfit who had the first big chance after the break when Bony struck the bar from long range on the counter-attack with an hour gone.

Rangel had to be alert to clear a Sakho cross away from goal, but it proved only a brief respite as Carroll rose highest to head in a Stewart Downing corner after 66 minutes.

Sakho then hit the post after latching onto a throughball and rounding Fabianski, who was then sent off by Chris Foy for impeding the striker after the referee had initially played the advantage.

Britain Soccer Premier League Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was sent-off on 68 minutes for a foul on Diafra Sakho, who grabbed West Ham's third goal later in the game. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

West Ham should have increased their lead when Sakho was left one-on-one with substitute keeper Gerhard Tremmel, but he shot against the base of the post.

Sakho made amends for that miss, though, when Carroll headed on a long ball and he powered through to fire over Tremmel with three minutes remaining.

Carroll’s hat-trick attempt was cleared off the line and Tremmel saved well from Sakho as West Ham finished with a flourish.

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