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Player Ratings: West Ham United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion

Sports Mole rates and slates the players who were on show during the 1-1 Premier League draw between West Ham and West Brom at Upton Park.

West Bromwich Albion earned a New Year's Day point with new manager Tony Pulis watching from the stands as they drew 1-1 at West Ham United.

Diafra Sakho's diving header gave the hosts a 10th-minute lead which was cancelled out by Saido Berahino's first goal in nine games just before the break.

Albion drop one place to 17th despite the positive result at Upton Park, and remain one point above the relegation zone, while the Hammers stay sixth.

Below, Sports Mole rates and slates the players who were on show in London.


Diafra Sakho of West Ham United celebrates with Carl Jenkinson as he scores their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at Boleyn Ground on January 1, 2015© Getty Images

WEST HAM

Goal

Adrian: Pulled off a couple of excellent first-half saves, but was not so busy after the break. Has become a very dependable goalkeeper. (7/10)

Defence

Carl Jenkinson: A constant attacking threat down the right as he regularly got to the byline. The Hammers could have made more of his service with better movement in the penalty area. (8/10)

Winston Reid: May be one of the last games that he plays for West Ham if the paper talk is to be believed. Was not one of his best as the quickness of Sessegnon and Berahino tested him. (6/10)

James Collins: Made a couple of crucial early blocks and was willing as always to throw himself in front of anything and everything, but West Brom's forward pair were too mobile for him. (5/10)

Aaron Cresswell: As good as if not better than his fellow full-back, the former Ipswich Town star put in another impressive display. Gets forward with remarkable frequency without abandoning his defensive duties. Struck the post with a clever free kick. (8/10)

Midfield

Alex Song: Captained the side in the absence of Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble. Solid and efficient in possession, but was not able to assert his usual influence going forward. (6/10)

Cheikhou Kouyate: A fourth-minute booking shackled the combative midfielder and prevented him from going into tackles with his usual vigour. (5/10)

Morgan Amalfitano: Playing against the club where he spent last season on loan, the Frenchman contributed in the build-up to the Hammers' goal, but was otherwise rarely involved before his withdrawal. (6/10)

Stewart Downing: Continues to flourish in a central role. Is playing with supreme confidence and looks likely to score goals and create them for others. (8/10)

Attack

Andy Carroll His return to form has just stalled slightly in recent weeks and he had another quiet game today, with the Hammers choosing not to use his aerial presence very often. (6/10)

Diafra Sakho: More heavily involved than his strike partner and his pace gave Albion's defence problems in behind. Took his goal well with an old-fashioned diving header. (7/10)

Substitutes

Matt Jarvis: Given a rare chance off the bench early in the second half, but failed to impress. (5/10)

Enner Valencia: The Ecuadorian being on the bench shows the depth of this Hammers squad. Was not presented with a chance to score the winner. (5/10)

Carlton Cole: Came on for Carroll in the final minutes and barely had time for a touch. (6/10)



WEST BROM

Saido Berahino of West Bromwich Albion celebrates with Graham Dorrans as he scores their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at Boleyn Ground on January 1, 2015© Getty Images

Goal

Ben Foster: Could do nothing about the goal. Will have much more difficult afternoons as the Baggies fight for their Premier League safety. (6/10)

Defence

Andre Wisdom: Strong in defence and happy to go forward, but his final ball was often lazy. (6/10)

Gareth McAuley: May have been expecting an aerial bombardment with Carroll up against him, but it did not really come as he helped to keep the powerful striker quiet. (7/10)

Joleon Lescott: Had to be alert to Sakho running in behind and was slightly caught out for the first goal, but came back strong to close out what is an important point for his side. (6/10)

Chris Baird: Filling in for the injured Sebastian Pocognoli, the versatile Northern Irishman did not let his team down. Did not offer a great deal going forward, with one of his only ventures into the final third resulting in a particularly wayward shot. (6/10)

Midfield

Graham Dorrans: Did really well to adjust his body for a first-half volley which tested Adrian and contributed to some intricate play around the edge of the box. (7/10)

James Morrison: Up against a physical midfield, the Scot more than held his own and often came out on top in 50-50 challenges with Song and Kouyate. (7/10)

Youssouf Mulumbu: Was not a regular under Irvine, but had been a star under previous regimes and was restored to the starting XI by caretaker boss Keith Downing. Threw himself into tackles, but was sometimes wasteful with the ball. (6/10)

Chris Brunt: His left foot was not quite on point today as he was off target with a couple of decent shooting opportunities. (6/10)

Attack

Stephane Sessegnon: Probably the best player on the park as he caused the West Ham defence all sorts of problems with his direct running and dribbling. Supplied Berahino for the goal on the counter-attack, but missed a few chances to score himself. (8/10)

Saido Berahino: Will be relieved to have ended a nine-match scoring drought and was lively throughout. If he is to leave in January, this goal may add a couple of million back on to his valuation. (7/10)

Substitutes

Claudio Yacob: Came off the bench and played a really important role in helping Albion battle to a point. (7/10)

Brown Ideye: Failed to spot an unmarked Sessegnon on the edge of the box during a late Baggies break. Showed good hold-up play and the appointment of Pulis may kickstart his Premier League career. (6/10)

Silvestre Varela: Had the final 11 minutes and provided the Baggies with the width that they were lacking. Could be right up Pulis's street in a 4-4-2 formation. (6/10)


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Diafra Sakho of West Ham United (C) heads the ball past goalkeeper Ben Foster of West Bromwich Albion to score their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at Boleyn Ground on January 1, 2015
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