SAINTS needed a police escort to arrive in time for kick-off last night - after spending a busy afternoon training at singer Rod "The Mod" Stewart's house!

But a last-minute James Beattie winner left West Ham rooted to the bottom of the table and ensured it was the Hammers' board of directors were glad of a police presence on the way out of Upton Park.

It was Beattie's ninth goal in just seven league games and one which sends him joint top with Thierry Henry, Gianfranco Zola and Alan Shearer in the race for the Premiership's golden boot.

Yet the game started in cha-otic fashion for Saints.

A serious misjudgement of the London traffic saw them arrive less than half-an-hour before the 8pm kick-off, meaning the match eventually started around five minutes late as West Ham waited for the Saints players to take to the field.

Manager Gordon Strachan later confirmed the team had been at the rock legend's home, saying: "We've been there a few times and it's handy because its just near the hot-el - he is not there just now.

"We were stuck in traffic for two hours. The police had to come and get us or we would have missed the game.

"But it didn't make a difference - we looked like we missed the first half anyway"

Rupert Lowe had to phone the team coach at one stage to avoid punishment from the Premiership.

West Ham tried to capitalise and came out with all guns blazing and Strachan said: "It's the first and probably last time we use that coach driver.

"You have got to give credit to West Ham's enthusiasm.

"Doddsy, Michael Svensson, the goalkeeper and Bridgey kept us in it early on and as a unit we were not that great.

"They played cup-tie football, high-tempo football and good football and we didn't match the basics."

Strachan substituted Agustin Delgado and Matt Oakley and brought on Anders Svensson and Brett Ormerod in the second-half and the changes coincided with a big improvement in the team's play.

"We were better in the second half. We played some good football in the last half-hour and I thought we were the most likely team to win," said Strachan.

"We needed better shape and there wasn't any movement, but we got more depth and it was better. When Brett came on he took us up a level again and he was exceptional.

"We have had three injury-time goals against us so we know how it feels and how hard it is.

"We were due a wee bit, our bravery kept us in the game and our ability won us it."

Glenn Roeder, meanwhile, vowed to continue as West Ham manager.

He said: "Nothing has ever come easy for me. Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth and the minute things go wrong they take flight. I stay and fight."

More than 1,000 angry fans called for the head of West Ham chairman Terence Brown for more than an hour after the match.

Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole has received a misconduct charge for abusive language towards referee Paul Durkin after Sol Campbell's sending off in Saints' 3-2 win at St Mary's. Campbell's appeal for wrongful dismissal was turned down.

Saints chairman Rupert Lowe is being tipped for a place on the FA executive board as a Premiership representative following the resignation of Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale last week.