Hammers blogger Kwame Boakye is incensed at the antics of the Swansea City defender on Saturday at Upton Park

Newham Recorder: Match referee Howard Webb (left) and West Ham United's Andy Carroll during the Barclays Premier League match at Upton Park, London.Match referee Howard Webb (left) and West Ham United's Andy Carroll during the Barclays Premier League match at Upton Park, London. (Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

On Saturday afternoon we saw two sides of West Ham; (and an ugly side of Chico Flores) with Andy Carroll leading the line we saw a swashbuckling and dominant performance from the Hammers; one which inspires hope that our chances of beating the drop are real, very real in fact.

This West Ham team was created and moulded by Sam Allardyce in order to get the very best out of our big Geordie; and for 60 minutes we witnessed big Sam’s glorious vision and whilst it may not have been the tiikki-takka style of Michael Laudrup’s Swansea; it was extremely effective.

The Swans simply couldn’t cope with the avalanches of crosses, long balls and diagonals launched on to Carroll’s head; the end result was Carroll and Nolan renewing their glorious partnership. Nolan and Carroll between them now have a total of 63 goals in 73 games together; they’re practically a latter day Yorke and Cole and it’s definitely a partnership that can fire us away from the clutches of Championship football.

The other side of West Ham I alluded to at the start of this article was the organisation, grit, spirit and determination the team displayed after Carroll’s incredibly harsh red. Even with 10 men for the final half hour the Irons never once looked like conceding and it shows what a difference it makes when the side can call upon their first choice defence; as with Roger Johnson and George McCartney at centre back the team didn’t look anywhere near as impregnable.

A word now on Chico Flores and that sending off which could rob West Ham of Andy Carroll for three precious matches...Chico is and I’m going to choose my words carefully...a disgrace.

The replays clearly show Carroll’s elbow just grazed over the top of Flores’ forehead, for Chico to go down rolling around holding his face was for no other reason than to get Carroll sent off. He did it because it’s his nature; he has a history of going down easily and feigning injury, highlighted in our last game with the Swans when under minimal contact he went down in a similar fashion and Sam Allardyce quite rightly laughed in his face.

And after rolling around for a few moments suddenly Chico had miraculously sprung to his feet and attempted to confront a chuckling Big Sam.

For once wouldn’t it be nice if common sense prevailed? Andy Carroll’s red card should be rescinded and Chico Flores should be punished for deliberately deceiving the referee and getting a fellow professional sent off. For once let’s not behind the pretence of ‘intent’ or any other weak or made up technicalities; the guilty party in all of this is Flores and he should be punished.