WEST HAM UTD v SOUTHAMPTON - nPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP - 14/02/2012 - PICTURE BY STEVE BACON

Hammers defender James Tomkins thinks that the team need to keep their discipline better

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West Ham’s James Tomkins confessed that the team were lucky to get away with just one red card from their bad-tempered showdown with Southampton on Tuesday night.

Matt Taylor was given his marching orders for pushing over Billy Sharp and West Ham struggled with their discipline for the rest of that tense first half.

“I saw Matt Taylor running over and I saw him raising his arms and you can’t do that these days,” said the defender turned midfielder.

“If you raise your arms at another player then you are giving the referee the problem and it was always going to happen I suppose.”

Tomkins did suggest that the West Ham players were provoked by the visitors, but he insisted that was no real excuse.

“I think it was the lad’s reaction to Mark Noble that incensed Matt. He thought it was a dive and he was in his face and winding the situation up,” said Tomkins.

“He shouldn’t have done that, but our players have gone over there and we really need to keep our heads at times.

“We had a couple of yellow cards after that and we were lucky that we didn’t get any more sent off because it was tough enough as it is.”