Jose Fonte insists West Ham United must not take their foot of the pedal after securing a vital 1-0 victory over Swansea City.

The win ended a run of five defeats in a row in the Premier League and took the Hammers eight points clear of the relegation zone with six games to play.

On a personal level, the three points had added significance for Fonte as he claimed his first clean sheet in a claret and blue shirt and he insists West Ham must use the win as a springboard.

“The clean sheet was important, but the three points were more vital. It was a big game, and we are pleased with the result,” Fonte told the Hammers website.

“There was a lot of pressure, everyone knows we have been through a bad patch, but we have worked hard.

“We are still working hard, there is still lots to do, but this was a good day and we are grateful for the three points.”

Despite the sizable gap between the irons and the bottom three, Fonte is refusing to take Premier League survival for granted.

Instead, the Portuguese is targeting more wins, starting with Saturday’s visit to bottom of the table Sunderland.

“Our aim is to win the next two matches, then we can start to look at things a little differently,” he said.

“Not to relax, but to be more comfortable and to play in a way that we perhaps haven’t been able to while the pressure is really on.

“You can’t take your foot off the gas in this league. It’s a tough league, the best in the world, and if you are not at it every single game, you are not going to win.

“It’s about giving everything we have in every game, and if we do that we’ll pick up points.”