West Ham 2 Southend 0

Marlon Harewood ended a four-match scoring drought with a clinical brace to book unimpressive West Ham a place in the second round of the Carling Cup after a low-key win over Southend.

Harewood has struggled since being restored to his favoured position up front this season, but he made no mistake with goals in the 11th and 90th minutes at Upton Park.

Yet the Shrimpers, a team 64 league places below West Ham, made all the running in the second half, and by the time Harewood struck his second goal it was the home fans who were the most relieved.

Five years ago to the day, the Hammers beat Metz 3-1 in the Intertoto Cup final to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

But West Ham's opponents on Tuesday night were a side struggling near the foot of League Two and Upton Park is a much less ambitious place.

The ground was half-empty on the day Michael Carrick's transfer to Tottenham went through and manager Alan Pardew handed full debuts to three new faces.

But even the cries for chairman Terence Brown to resign from a small section of a disillusioned 16,910 crowd were somewhat muted.

The home side stamped their authority on the game early, Nigel Reo-Coker forcing Southend goalkeeper Bart Griemink into a second-minute save after a one-two with Harewood.

But Griemink was powerless to prevent Harewood putting the Hammers ahead with a cool finish on 11 minutes after a storming 50-yard run from Reo-Coker.

Drewe Broughton wasted a great chance to draw the Shrimpers level when he put a free header at the far post wide from eight yards following Mark Gower's searching cross.

But the Hammers were soon back in the ascendancy in the Essex derby and Harewood shaved the upright after a lightning turn with a crisp right-foot shot.

Harewood then dragged another good chance wide after being slipped in by Sergei Rebrov, who was largely anonymous despite playing in his preferred role as an out-and-out striker.

Mark Bentley gave the Hammers a scare when his 50th-minute shot deflected off Rufus Brevett just wide, and Kevin Maher was narrowly wide with a shot from 25 yards.

The Hammers suddenly looked asleep, and were allowing the visitors the lion's share of possession, so Pardew threw on Teddy Sheringham for the ineffective Rebrov.

But Maher was guilty of a glaring miss when James Walker parried Carl Pettefer's fierce drive straight into his path and he found only the side netting.

That woke West Ham up, and Adam Nowland forced a sprawling save from Griemink at the other end before Harewood made it safe with an injury-time strike on the break.

Teams:

West Ham Walker, McClenahan, Ward, Repka, Brevett, Chadwick (Noble 68), Nowland, Reo-Coker, Cohen, Harewood, Rebrov (Sheringham 76).

Subs Not Used: Bywater, Blewitt, Ashikodi.

Booked: Nowland, Repka.

Goals: Harewood 11, 90.

Southend Griemink, Jupp, Edwards, Barrett, Nicolau, Gower, Maher, Bentley, Pettefer, Dudfield (Gray 84), Broughton (Bramble 74).

Subs Not Used: Flahavan, Hunt, Wilson.

Booked: Maher.

Att: 16,910

Ref: P Armstrong (Berkshire).