Bowyer gives Derby sinking feeling

Although they had suffered bigger beatings at the hands of Liverpool and Arsenal this season, it cannot get worse than a home drubbing at the hands of a Hammers outfit decimated by injury.

Goals from Lee Bowyer (two), Matthew Etherington, an Eddie Lewis own goal and a beautiful free-kick from Nolberto Solano gave the rampant Hammers by far their biggest win of the season.

Derby kicked off full of running and commitment, although their aggression was slightly misdirected when Gary Teale and skipper Matt Oakley unleashed tackles that had George McCartney, who had to be replaced after 14 minutes, and Bowyer writhing in agony.

West Ham were soon looking the more threatening as the half wore on, their best move of the match almost releasing Carlton Cole but still resulting in a free-kick inches outside the box. It looked too close for a direct strike but Solano did his best to prove otherwise with a delightful effort against the crossbar.

With half-time approaching, the visitors finally took the lead they deserved. Solano's cross found Cole in the box and his nod down allowed the criminally unmarked Bowyer to sweep the ball through Stephen Bywater's legs and into the net.

Having failed to muster a single shot at goal in the first half, Derby could have levelled when Kenny Miller's header from Lewis' cross sailed wide. But, in a frantic start to the second period, it was game over within eight minutes, first when Matthew Etherington and Bowyer were allowed the freedom of the area to exchange passes before the former fired home.

The contest was summed up by West Ham's third. A corner was partially cleared but the ball eventually fell to Jonathan Spector, whose strike looked to have been blocked by Lewis, only for his fellow American to fall over the ball and send it over the line.

Having introduced Steve Howard and Robert Earnshaw and over-committed up front, Derby were then hit on the break, Solano feeding Cole out wide and his cross was met by Bowyer's perfectly-timed run.

To their credit, only a handful of the home fans headed for the exit, but the rest were simply stunned into silence. But the exodus was not long in coming after Solano bettered his earlier free-kick with goal five, a stunning strike across Bywater and into the top corner.