Football: Glenn calls for bottle and gets a Kan of tonic!; WEST HAM 2

GLENN ROEDER called for some East London bottle, and though Frenchman Frederic Kanoute may not have really known what he meant he delivered impeccably.

Kanoute struck twice with powerful headers to send West Ham soaring up the table, regaining their lost pride after the battering at Blackburn and allowing manager Roeder to go home still in a job.

The pressure had grown dramatically on Roeder after two successive heavy away defeats, but few sides this season are going to lose to Southampton.

Whatever Roeder said all week after the hammering at Ewood Park, it was enough to ensure his side maintained their unbeaten form at home.

Incredibly, the Hammers have not conceded a goal at Upton Park all season while away from home they have let in 16, efforts which ensured they began this match second from bottom.

That spot is now occupied by Southampton, who find themselves facing a long winter locked around the relegation zone.

Unlike West Ham, who at least had players with the unpredictable brilliance of Paolo Di Canio and Kanoute, the Saints are struggling to find a break anywhere.

To add to their misery, they have yet to win at their new St Mary's Ground, which is fast becoming a statistic they want to end.

Roeder insists he is not a teacup-throwing type of manager.

You have to stand close to him to hear what he says, his voice is so quiet - but his words to his team did the trick.

From the start, the Hammers were inventive in attack and though both these sides are probably no more than ordinary, the gulf was evident.

That was confirmed by Kanoute eight minutes after the restart and nine minutes from time to spark joyous celebrations from 25,000-plus relieved home fans with the announcer on the Tannoy saying: "Who says there was a crisis?"

Steady now. The Hammers are only one win out of the relegation zone, but Roeder was delighted. He said: "I am very pleased, but it is mystifying why we are like this at home, compared to what happens away.

"I don't know the answer - and if I did I would bottle it up and take it to Ipswich next week with us.

"We had a good chat 15 minutes before the start and I asked the players to show some good old fashioned East London bottle - and it had to be translated for Tomas Repka.

"I didn't feel as much pressure as perhaps people would have thought after last week. I got the job unexpectedly and I still feel lucky to be manager.

"It's hypothetical to say what would have happened if we'd lost.

"But it was not a great spectacle. There was an edginess about our play in the first half because the last two games have been excruciating.

"There was an eerie silence in the dressing room after Blackburn but the players have trained well and I am pleased with the reaction today."

Southampton manager Stuart Gray felt that one lapse of concentration cost them dear.

"I would not say our heads or shoulders dropped," he said.

"We have created some reasonable chances but did not put them away. We have some important games coming up - we are in a mini- league of seven clubs at the bottom and we must start winning."

Perhaps not just one lapse of concentration, because in the opening 15 minutes West Ham created seven chances.

Kanoute saw a snapshot saved by keeper Paul Jones after only seven minutes and he then did well to stop a drive by Laurent Courtois before Michael Carrick volleyed wide.

Di Canio then found a way round Jones but shot when he should have passed, and then he shared a superb 1-2 with Trevor Sinclair who volleyed over.

Southampton were attempting to find their strikers in Marian Pahars and James Beattie but Repka was outstanding at the back for the Hammers.

Don Hutchison volleyed over and Courtois twice shot wide.

Pahars and Beattie each wasted the one chance that came their way in the first half but you could sense the disgruntlement of the home fans whose team lost to Everton 5-0 before the humiliating 7-1 defeat at Blackburn.

Then the gloom was lifted.

Di Canio found Nigel Winterburn on the left and the man brought back after missing the Blackburn match produced a sensational cross which Southampton could not deal with - and from six yards, Kanoute headed in.

A sense that the Hammers were not going to let this one slip was confirmed 10 minutes from the end.

Trevor Sinclair may have demanded a transfer but, while in the shop window, he continues to give it all for the Hammers. He broke down the right to cross low to the Southampton box.

The ball was half-cleared, Di Canio crashed the rebound against the bar and there was Kanoute to head in the second.

W HAM: Hislop 6, Schemmel 6, Repka 6, Dailly 5, Winterburn 7, Sinclair 6, HUTCHISON 8, Carrick 6, Courtois 6, Kanoute 7, Di Canio 7.

SOUTHAMPTON: Jones 6, Dodd 6, Lundekvam 6, El Khalej 6, Bridge 6, Delap 6, Draper 7, Marsden 6, Davies 6, Pahars 5, Beattie 5.

MANAGERS: Roeder 7; Gray 6.

REFEREE: N Barry 7.

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