A CARLTON Cole goal after half an hour was enough to give the Hammers victory at Portman Road this afternoon.

The striker scrambled the ball home from close in after a Luis Boa-Morte header had been saved.

It was a friendly with few clear-cut chances, but boss Avram Grant did get the chance to field most of his first-team squad.

New signings Freddie Piquionne and Pablo Barrerra were among the many subs to come on in the second half.

The first half was a rather tame affair. The first chance fell to Ipswich. Tamas Priskin got behind Manual Dacosta and only had Robert Green to beat, but the Hammers keeper came out quickly to make the block, turning the ball over for a corner.

There was some rather cruel, if not totally unexpected, cheering from the Ipswich fans whenever Green touched the ball, the home supporters not letting the England shotstopper forget his World Cup nightmare.

There was a blow for West Ham midway through the first half, when Matthew Upson was replaced by Mark Noble, presumably because of an injury.

However, it was the Hammers who struck with their first chance on 31 minutes, Cole bundling the ball over the line from a couple of yards out after Boa-Morte had seen keeper Brian Murphy only parry his far-post header.

It could have been two just a few minutes later, but Thomas Hitzlsperger drilled well wide from a central position. The German put his head in his hands. He knew he should have at least forced a save out of Murphy.

Ipswich almost struck at the start of the second period, Jon Walters' diving header from close range saved by Green.

For West Ham, Danny Gabbidon made room for himself, but fired wide from a central position 25 yards out.

The second half contained the usual mass substitutions fans have become accustomed to at pre-season friendlies, but it was, in fact, livelier than the first half.

The Tractor Boys again came close with 15 minutes to go, but David Norris' header finished a foot wide.

A nicely-worked free-kick also ended with Grant Leadbitter lofting the ball on to the roof of the net from 25 yards, as the hosts pressed in vain for an equaliser.

WEST HAM: Green; Tomkins, Upson (Noble 23), Dacosta (Gabbidon 61), Ilunga (Daprela 73); Faubert (Barrera 73), Parker (Kovac 73), Hitzlsperger (Spector 73), Boa Morte (Diamanti 61); Dyer (Piquionne 61), Cole.

Subs: Kurucz, Stanislas.