Football: MR ANGRY'S HOT STUFF

DESPITE the flying start, West Ham boss Glenn Roeder is still in for a season of discontent if David Connolly's reaction is anything to go by.

The Republic of Ireland star, signed two weeks ago for pounds 285,000 from Wimbledon, came off the bench to fire the winner.

But he was furious because loan signing Neil Mellor was preferred to him in the starting line up.

And the 26-year-old even said he may be forced to look for a new club.

"I was very disappointed not to start the game," he said. "I've been in the starting line up all week in training and to find out I'm not starting at 3.30 on a Friday afternoon is terrible."

He said he had let Glenn Roeder "know how I feel".

He added: "It was nice to score the goal and maybe the fans will now know who I am. I have played 40 games for my country, I think I deserve to be picked. I will speak to Glenn further this week but I might have to look for a new club."

With speculation surrounding the future of Jermain Defoe, whose goal cancelled out Eddie Lewis's opener, this was the last thing Roeder needed.

And even though the Upton Park chief may be privately fuming, he said he was happy with Connolly.

He said: "I gave him his debut when he was 16 at Watford, so I know what he's like. He's an angry ant and this doesn't surprise me. It doesn't disappoint me either."

Roeder, back in the dug-out for the first time since his heart scare in the Spring, added: "It would be impossible for his comments to take the gloss off the day."

Apart from dressing-room disquiet, the last thing Roeder would have wanted was to see his side go behind early.

But with the game barely two minutes old Preston sliced through the Hammers' defence.

Dickson Etuhu ushered the ball wide to Graham Alexander who ran into space. West Ham's Mark Repka slipped as he went to intercept Alexander's cross and Eddie Lewis tapped the ball home past David James. West Ham showed the fighting spirit they will need if they are to bounce back into the Premiership and were soon level.

Picking up the ball just on the touch line, new boy Matthew Etherington whipped in a cross to the edge of the box, finding Don Hutchison. His cushioned head down found Defoe, who wriggled free to poke an effort past Jonathon Gould.

The visitors went in search of a second and it almost arrived when Defoe freed Mellor.

Evading two tackles, Mellor surged clear but Gould blocked his goal-bound shot and his attempts to follow up were thwarted by Chris Lucketti.

With Defoe looking lively and Hutchison and Rob Lee pulling the strings in midfield, Roeder's side looked good. However, a sense remained that the Hammers' defence would buckle under pressure.

Czech international Repka, who was embarrassed on numerous occasions last year in the Premiership, showed he still remains West Ham's weak link at the back. That said, Dailly wasn't much better.

Though Preston sensed blood, particularly through Ricardo Fuller whose direct running caused problems for the hapless centre-halves, they couldn't convert their pressure, leaving the sides to go into the break all square.

Craig Brown's men began the second half in a similar vein to the first and the home side should have taken the lead within minutes of the re-start, when David James needlessly charged out of his goal to present David Healy with a chance.

The Northern Ireland international, though, could not direct his effort between the covering Rob Lee and Dailly.

Craig Brown said: "We were the better side early in the second half and had a few chances. They looked jittery at times and we could have exploited them. But all credit to Glenn because he made a great substitution."

That came on the hour when Mellor was withdrawn for Connolly. His arrival signalled an improvement in West Ham's play and they went ahead on 69 minutes when he ended a solo run down the left by cutting inside two defenders to fire between Gould and the near post.

PRESTON WEST HAM

3 Shots on target 6

9 Shots off target 3

2 Shots blocked 1

7 Corners 4

13 Fouls conceded 8

0 Offsides 4

0 Yellow cards 3

0 Red cards 0

ATTENDANCE: 18,246

match VERDICTS

MAN OF THE MATCH

jermainDEFOE

Lively, direct and full of ideas, it's no surprise Manchester United want to whisk him away. Scored one great goal, linked well with the midfield and will bag a hatful if he stays in the First Division.

RATIN

GS PRESTON Gould 7; Alexander 7, Lucketti 7, O'Neill 7, Edwards 7; Etuhu 6 (Skora 67), Lewis 7, Jackson 7, Healy 6; Cresswell 6, Fuller 8 WEST HAM James 6; Brevitt 7, Repka 5, Dailly 6, Ferdinand 6; Lee 7; Etherington 7, Garcia 5 (Sofiane 64 5), Hutchison 7; Defoe 8, Mellor 7 (Connolly 60 6) REFEREE:Paul Danson, 7

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