Hammers lose in Vienna

West Ham kicked off their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 defeat by Austria Vienna

Baldock goal not enough for West Ham as new boys make debuts

West Ham kicked off their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 defeat by Austria Vienna. A side featuring new signing Mohamed Diame was well beaten in the Austrian capital despite Sam Baldock's fourth-minute opener. Baldock got his head to a hanging Carlton Cole cross to force the ball home, but that was as good as it got for the visitors sent out by Neil McDonald in Sam Allardyce's absence. With Cole off the field for treatment Vienna levelled midway through the first half, Roland Linz evading a challenge on the edge of the box and beating Stephen Henderson. And three minutes later Tomas Simkovic burst down the left and picked out Dare Vrsic, who finished well. Recently re-signed George McCartney appeared for the second half along with new boy Jussi Jaaskelainen, and the veteran goalkeeper made a couple of decent stops before Tomas Jun netted a third for the home side.