Krong Angkor

Hammers smash five past travel sick Burnley

LONDON (AFP) - West Ham hit top form and continued their climb away from the Premier League relegation zone with a commanding 5-3 victory over Burnley in an entertaining game at Upton Park here on Saturday.

Welsh international midfielder Jack Collison gave the hosts an 18th-minute lead after latching onto Scott Parker's quick free-kick, with Junior Stanislas and top scorer Carlton Cole also on target before the break.

Cole hobbled off early in the second half but Guillermo Franco soon had the home side 4-0 ahead before substitute Luis Jimenez scored from the spot.

Burnley rallied in the second half, with Steven Fletcher scoring twice and Chris Eagles also got on the scoresheet, but it was nonetheless another forgettable away day for Owen Coyle's men, who had Steven Caldwell sent off late on.

The victory, West Ham's third of the season, keeps them in 17th place but they are now just a point behind Everton and Birmingham City, both of whom play on Sunday.

Burnley centre-back Clarke Carlisle had seen a header cleared off the line and Franco had struck the crossbar before Collison put the hosts ahead.

The 21-year-old netted early on to give the Hammers a 2-0 lead in the 3-3 draw at Hull on Wednesday and he was quickly into his goal-scoring stride again, slotting home after Parker had caught the Burnley defence napping.

Stanislas was the next man to break the visitors' offside trap when he broke clear to latch onto Franco's intelligent reverse pass and he finished at the second attempt after Brian Jensen parried his initial effort.

Burnley's form away from Turf Moor has been dire this season, with just a single point picked up on their travels, and they fell three goals down two minutes before the break.

Robbie Blake was adjudged to have fouled full-back Jonathan Spector in the away side's penalty area and England international Cole converted the ensuing spotkick for his seventh league goal of the campaign.

Franco got the goal his performance deserved when he headed home Stanislas's centre on 51 minutes and his replacement Jimenez made it 5-0 with a penalty he had earned after being felled by the unfortunate Jensen.

Both of Fletcher's late goals were set up by Eagles, who then helped himself to his second goal of the season, shortly after Caldwell had been dismissed for dragging back the livewire Zavon Hines.