Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from the Boleyn Ground

Tyrone Mears scored his first goal of the season as Derby restored plenty of pride following last week's mauling at the hands of Aston Villa but two goals for the home side meant they fell to another defeat.

Bobby Zamora opened the scoring in a flat first half but the Rams were sharp after the break and Mears found the back of the net from a fine Hossam Ghaly pass.

But Carlton Cole restored West Ham's advantage with his first touch as a substitute and that was just enough to earn the home side all three points.

Mile Sterjovski and Dean Leacock were recalled to the starting line-up in East London - Leacock for Darren Moore and Sterjovski for Tito Villa, meaning the Australian was playing through the middle with Kenny Miller.

Otherwise the Rams were unchanged with Moore and Villa dropping to the bench.

Before the game there were rousing receptions from the home faithful for Roy Carroll and Tyrone Mears, both lining up against their former club for the first time.

West Ham had plenty of possession in the early stages and put the ball into the Derby box a fair few times but couldn't find a breakthrough, despite a couple of good shooting opportunities.

Though the home side were spraying the ball around quite nicely throughout the first ten minutes with Derby rarely getting the chance to get it down and build a move of their own.

And on 19 minutes the home side did open the scoring.

George McCartney lined up a free-kick from an inside-right position and lifted it over with his left foot, where Bobby Zamora nodded it comfortably home from eight yards under no real pressure.

Derby's first move of real substance arrived nine minutes later as Mears was released down the right and got to the byline, from where he pulled back a delightful low cross that no Derby player had anticipated.

Their first shot soon followed, a David Jones effort deflected for a corner that Miller flicked over from Eddie Lewis's right-wing delivery.

Zamora had the ball in the back of the net again on 37 minutes after being sent clear by Mark Noble's pass, but he had already been pulled back for offside.

Robert Green was called into action seconds later at the other end with a flying tip-over after Robbie Savage had dived in to meet Jones's cross.

But it hadn't been a particularly thrilling first half and it came to a close with Hossam Ghaly's 25-yard shot tamely deflected into the arms of Green.

Derby started the second period brightly enough and they may have levelled things up quickly as first Sterjovski and then Mears just failed to reach an inviting Jones cross.

Indeed, they forced a number of corners and had the Hammers under plenty of pressure but couldn't take advantage.

The passing was certainly crisp, particularly from box to box, but the cutting edge was lacking.

That was until just after the hour when a sharp pass from Hossam Ghaly sent Mears scampering away and he cut inside from the right only to be foiled at the last by a fine sprawling Green save.

And the same combination worked wonders second later as the Rams broke quickly from a home corner and levelled matters.

Ghaly once again picked up the ball in midfield and sent Mears away with another pass in behind the defence, and this time the ex-Hammer made no mistake with a clinical finish.

The equaliser was no surprise given the way the second half was going, though West Ham almost went back in front on 67 as Noble met a Zamora cross but guided his header straight at Carroll.

Then the Rams had an escape as Ljungberg looked set to break clear but may have been tugged back by Savage, who would surely have been red-carded as the last man had Steve Tanner thought it worthy of a whistle.

Alan Curbishley made his first change on 73 minutes as he replaced youngster Freddie Sears with Carlton Cole, a move that did not go down well with the home faithful.

The Rams followed suit with Villa taking over from Jones.

Cole, however, was on the mark with his first touch. Derby were caught down the right as Ljungberg was played in behind Todd and crossed low for the lanky former Chelsea man to tap home from a matter of yards.

Derby's second change followed on 82 as Jay McEveley took over from Todd, sparking a reshuffle that saw Lewis move forward, Sterjovski to the right and Mears returning to full-back.

Zamora might have popped in a third with a diving header that Carroll saved well, though that would have been extremely harsh on Derby - who should have levelled in stoppage-time.

Mears bombed forward once again and delivered a deep cross to the far post that Savage headed over when it looked easier to score.

Even Miller had an opportunity with a low shot as Stubbs knocked down long free-kick but the deserved leveller wouldn't come.

WEST HAM: Green, Neill (C), McCartney, Ljungberg (Boa Morte 90), Parker, Pantsil, Noble, Faubert (Solano 78), Zamora, Tomkins, Sears (Cole 73).

SUBS: Walker (GK), Mullins.

DERBY: Carroll, Leacock, Jones (Villa 74), Stubbs, Miller, Lewis, Todd (McEveley 82), Sterjovski, Mears, Ghaly, Savage (C).

SUBS: Price (GK), Feilhaber, Moore.

ATTENDANCE: 34,612.