Written by: Graham Keeffe

After a torrid run of form, West Ham ended their winless drought by outclassing an in-form Chelsea side 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. While this was the Hammers’ fourth clean sheet of the season, it was a first for premier league debutant David Martin, who stole the show with both his heroics and end-game emotions. Son of club legend Alvin, the Romford-born shot stopper spent the majority of his career kitting out for MK Dons in the lower half of the English league pyramid. While he did have stints in the Premier League with Liverpool on two separate occasions, he failed to make it into the first team and at 33, it’s fair to say he probably thought his chance was gone. Nevertheless, in the face of a goalkeeping crisis, Martin stepped up to the plate and in a London Derby no less. Not only did he prove himself capable, the presence of a commanding figure between the sticks settled the defence and made it the most resolute it has been in weeks.

Martin was called into action early on, tested with a low drive from Mason Mount who burst through the centre of the park. Driven straight at him, the shot ricocheted off Martin’s chest but he swiftly recovered to lay claim to the ball – a save that brought a massive cheer from the travelling claret and blue contingent. Routine saves have been a rarity for the Hammers in recent weeks. West Ham were almost caught out by a deflected Reece James cross, which had Martin scrambling across goal, but they were spared the misfortune. Martin was called into action once more just before half time, getting low to his right to deny Kovacic and then immediately getting to his feet to stop a point blank Giroud effort. Despite the latter shot being offside, it showed just how alert Martin was to the Chelsea attack. His heroics brought another emphatic roar from the travelling support.

West Ham took the lead in the 48th minute with a fine move from Aaron Cresswell and from here on, they controlled the game and left Martin with little to do. In total he faced six shots and made six saves, a 100% success rate. However, it was the little things that have been missing in recent weeks that really made the difference. His kicking was accurate, he was controlled with the ball at his feet and most importantly, he clicked with his teammates. As the final whistle blew, Martin fell to his knees in tears. Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words and this was certainly one of those moments.

Congratulated by his teammates, he was inundated with applause and renditions of “There’s only one David Martin” from the claret and blue army. What made it all the more special for him was that his dad Alvin was there to see it all. Seeing the two hug it out at the full time whistle was a moment of raw emotion that is rare in the modern game. That is what it means to play for West Ham.

The next big test for Martin will be against Wolves on Wednesday night. Never an easy place to go to, a result here may help steady the ship and see West Ham move away from the lower half of the table. No doubt he’ll once again have the backing of the travelling fans, but he will need to reassure them that he is the man for the job until Fabianski returns. Here’s hoping he can continue his brilliant start to life at the club. COYI!