Mullins Own-goal Completes Miserable Day for Hammers

West Ham United could find no respite from their off-field problems last night with Hayden Mullins' own-goal enabling Watford to eliminate the Premier League side from the Carling Cup. For the Hammers it was a depressing end to another trying day.

The traveling West Ham fans were keen to put on a show of unity against a footballing world that they feel has so badly wronged them and they packed into a sold-out away end, determined to tell Sheffield United and the tribunal that ruled yesterday against the club in the Carlos Tevez affair where to stick their £30m.

However, their boisterousness briefly dimmed after a couple of early scares. Ross Jenkins put an acrobatic header just wide and Lionel Ainsworth twice had Jan Lastuvka scrambling in the opening 15 minutes. First a drive from the edge of the area skimmed narrowly wide, and seconds later a lob forced the West Ham goalkeeper to tip over the bar.

Slowly Gianfranco Zola's side began to improve but they by no means dominated a very open contest. Luis Boa Morte stretched Scott Loach in the Watford goal with a dinked effort and Mark Noble should have put the visitors ahead after 27 minutes but could only draw another fine save. There was still time before the break for the impressive Ainsworth to poke a shot wide and for Tommy Smith to twice test Lastuvka.

Instructions to tighten up at the back would likely have formed a fair chunk of both managers' half-time talks, but any words of caution had little effect - the chances kept coming. Slick work down the left saw David Di Michele prod wide and the Italian followed up that effort with a glancing header from a corner that Loach did well to hold. In between, Lastuvka produced a superb save to deny Jordan Parkes a first Watford goal and followed that up with an even better stop from Smith's point-blank header.

The Hornets, though, would not be denied. Lastuvka spoiled an otherwise excellent evening with 20 minutes to go, flapping at Lee Williamson's whipped-in free-kick. Mullins, unsighted and unprepared, allowed the ball to strike his shins and bobble into the net for the winner.