Defensive lapses end Hammers' good run

Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 2 

This always looked a difficult game up against a team trying to secure survival and so it proved. For half an hour West Ham look reasonably comfortable, if unsure how to break Newcastle down. But Saint-Maximin is proving a threat on the break and after 36 minutes it all unravels. Dawson has already been booked for an unwise hack at Joelinton and then clatters the same player again after the West Ham man miscontrols Diop's pass. 

ISSA OWN GOAL

The ref waves play on. Saint-Maximin speeds round Noble and puts in a fairly tame shot. But Fabianski manages to fumble it on to the heel of Issa Diop for a comedy own goal. To make it even more of an old West Ham moment, the ref then sends Dawson off for a second yellow. 

Another disaster happens four minutes later as Fabianski drops a corner on to the toe of Joelinton, who can't miss. To be fair the two goals are probably Fabianski's first mistakes of the season.

At least ten-man West Ham show some character after the break. The side looks much livelier as Bowen has a shot saved and then Johnson plays in a great cross for Coufal to head at Dubravka.

The lifeline comes on 73 minutes as Diop gets his head on to Bowen's cross to head home. The Hammers continue to threaten and after 80 minutes VAR spots a blatant handball by Clark. Jesse Lingard, who has had a quiet game by his standards, dispatches the penalty with confidence.

NEVER MIND THE WILLOCK

The Irons look likely to get at least a point, but the setback inspires Newcastle to attack with more freedom. Almost immediately Johnson has to clear off the line from Murphy. But the Toon's next cross from Ritchie proves lethal. Sub Willock gets across Ben Johnson to powerfully head home. Perhaps Fabianski could have done a little better as the header goes over him.

Not even eight minutes of added time can help the Hammers make it 3-3. If anything Moyes has gone too gung-ho replacing Noble with Benrahmi after 75 minutes, when it might have been better to keep it tight with ten men.

But the injuries were eventually going to take a toll. There was no Rice or Antonio and we badly missed the crossing of Cresswell and even a fit Arthur Masuaku might have helped.The one positive was that Ogbonna got through the game and will be a big asset in the next six games.

It's disappointing but not a disaster. We had to lose sometime and it's hard to legislate for the errors for the first two goals. Now the Irons need to focus on getting some injured players back and keeping some clean sheets again.