WANDERERS go head-to-head with West Ham at the Reebok on Saturday desperate for points to steer them clear of the Premiership drop zone. Here Gordon Sharrock looks back on a previous clash when the result proved decisive for both clubs.

IT was billed as the game neither side could afford to lose – and that pre-match warning proved to be spot-on as Wanderers won the do-or-die relegation battle and went on to survive at West Ham’s expense.

Jay-Jay Okocha. pictured, was the Reebok hero, leaving Joe Cole flailing before smashing a shot past David James for the only goal of the game in the 38th minute.

And the Hammers – whose cause was shamelessly championed by the London-biased national media – didn’t take kindly to being dumped on.

They started the afternoon third bottom of the Premiership, three points behind Wanderers, and trudged home six points adrift and, despite having four matches to play, virtually resigned to their fate.

But not before police confirmed they would report Cole and Rufus Brevett and warned there could also be criminal proceedings arising from a violent brawl and a number of other unseemly incidents in the tunnel after the game.

An angry Cole – still only 21 – allegedly punched Wanderers’ on-loan French defender Bernard Mendy as he left the field and was accused of damaging the tunnel awning as he kicked out in frustration.

Brevett was in bother after an alleged “altercation” with a police officer, who was bundled to the ground on the touchline.

It was pressure-cooker stuff and even Okocha – a man who had played in three World Cups – freely admitted he had been tortured by the nervous tension in the build up to the game.

This was serious – so serious there was none of the customary handshakes and shirt-swapping at the end. Not after Ian Pearce had been sent off for a wild challenge on Pierre-Yves Andre and a needless push on Gudni Bergsson and the likes of Cole, Jermain Defoe and Steve Lomas had tarnished their reputations by dramatically throwing themselves to the ground in desperate, embarrassing attempts to win point-saving penalties.

The upshot was that Wanderers survived and the Hammers were relegated with 40 points.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; N'Gotty, Bergsson, Laville, Charlton; Mendy, Campo, Frandsen, Okocha (Andre 89), Pedersen; Djorkaeff (Nolan 82).

Not used: Poole, Facey, Barness, West Ham: James; Johnson, Repka, Pearce (sent off 90), Brevett; Lomas, Cole, Cisse (Ferdinand 65), Sinclair; Defoe, Kanoute. Not used: Van Der Gouw, Hutchison, Dailly, Breen.

Referee: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield).

Attendance: 27,160.