Full-time: West Ham United 0 Sunderland 0

DICK ADVOCAAT’S reign at Sunderland got off to a losing start after Diafra Sakho scored a late winner for West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground.

It looked as though the Black Cats had claimed a vital point in East London, but Diafra struck with two minutes left. Advocaat was infuriated the goal was allowed to stand after a clear foul by Nene on Seb Larsson in the build up.

Adam Johnson returned to action following his arrest earlier this month when he was introduced as a second half substitute.

The result leaves the Black Cats a point above the bottom three after Burnley lost at Southampton.

Advocaat made two changes from the team that started Poyet’s last game in charge with Jordi Gomez and Connor Wickham coming in for Ricardo Alvarez and Liam Bridcutt.

Early on it was clear the Black Cats had abandoned the passing style that the Uruguayan preferred with plenty of balls being played over the top for Defoe, Fletcher and Wickham to chase.

In the eighth minute the visitors created the first real chance and it came from Gomez’s long ball into the channel. Defoe picked it up and sent a cross to Wickham at the back post and the striker was denied a superb finish on the volley by Hammers keeper Adrian.

Five minutes later Advocaat was forced to make a change when Brown limped off after landing awkwardly.

Santiago Vergini came on in his place but three minutes later it was the players in red and white causing problems.

Another direct ball up field saw Wickham send Defoe clear with a headed flick, but after the striker had controlled and teed himself up he blasted over from a great position.

Sunderland had started the brighter, but West Ham came back into it with chances of their own. Stewart Downing sent a dangerous ball across goal that evaded everyone before Diafra Sakho headed inches wide from Aaron Cresswell’s cross.

In the 32nd minute Pantilimon was called into action to deny a powerful volley from Alex Song and the sides went in level at the break.

Sakho missed another great chance to put Sam Allardyce’s men in front in the 52nd minute from a move that was identical to his first half miss.

Cresswell sent another superb cross into the box but again the striker failed to get his header on target.

Sunderland were lucky not to concede a penalty when Kevin Nolan was dragged down by Vergini in the area only for the linesman to flag for offside even though John O’Shea had flicked the ball on.

Van Aanholt forced a finger-tip save from Adrian with a fizzing long range effort, but at the other end O’Shea did well to intercept the ball before the oncoming Sakho could connect.

It looked as though the Black Cats had claimed a vital point in their battle against the drop but with two minutes left West Ham grabbed a late winner.

The ball broke to Sakho inside the area and he fired past Pantilimon despite a clear foul on Seb Larsson in the build up.

West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Kouyate, Creswell; Song, Noble, Nolan (Nene, 80); Jarvis (Cole, 46), Sakho (O’Brien, 90), Downing.

Subs: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Amalfitano, Poyet.

Sunderland (4-3-3): Pantilimon; Reveillere, O'Shea, Brown (Verigni, 13), van Aanholt; Gomez, Larsson, Rodwell, Wickham; Fletcher (Johnson, 63), Defoe (Graham, 87).

Subs: Mannone, Jones, Bridcutt, Watmore.