Premier League: West Ham 3 Wigan 1

West Ham eased the pressure on under-fire manager Avram Grant by cruising to a 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Wigan at Upton Park.

The game had been billed by the club’s board as ‘save our season’ and Grant knew that anything but a win would cast huge doubts over his future at Upton Park.

But his players responded at just the right time as goals from Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna and Scott Parker helped them pick up only their second English Premier League win of the season and ensured that Grant will be given more time to turn things around.

The home side opened the scoring on 34 minutes when Lars Jacobsen’s cross picked out Frederic Piquionne, who headed the ball towards goal.

Wigan defender Steve Gohouri failed to convincingly clear and Behrami stepped in to fire the ball past Ali Al-Habsi in the Wigan goal.

West Ham could have doubled their lead on 49 minutes. Matthew Upson played a high ball back into the box and Piquionne found himself completely unmarked inside the box but somehow managed to drag his shot wide of the post.

The Hammers continued to push for the decisive second goal and Obinna saw his low drive fall just past the post.

But the Nigerian striker finally got his just rewards 60 seconds later when he scored his first league of the season.

Obinna had been desperate to get off the mark, having had the most shots in the Premier League without scoring a goal this season.

But the on-loan Inter Milan forward finally broke his drought when he was played through by Piquionne and made no mistake, firing a left-foot shot past Al-Habsi into the corner of the net.

Despite the home side’s dominance, Wigan had a golden chance to get themselves back in the game when they were awarded a penalty on 64 minutes.

Danny Gabbidon brought down Tom Cleverley inside the box and after much deliberation, referee Mark Halsey awarded the spot kick.

But substitute Mauro Boselli saw his penalty superbly saved by Rob Green diving away to his left, leaving Grant to sense that his luck was finally starting to change.

West Ham sealed all three points when the inspirational Parker added a third on 75 minutes.

Obinna broke free down the left and crossed the ball in for Parker, who slid the ball home from close-range.

Wigan did pull a consolation goal back on 85 minutes when Cleverley fired the ball past Green into the roof of the net.

But it proved a mere consolation, as the Hammers held on for their biggest win of the season.