The Hammers hauled themselves out of the bottom three yesterday, crushing Stoke 3-0 as they recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time in more than a year.

It was also their third successive victory in all competitions, the first time they had managed that in more than two years.

The current run, which has seen them net a remarkable 11 goals, followed a day of go-karting and clay-pigeon shooting just over two weeks ago.

Tomorrow sees the squad go on a three-day mid-season training camp in Portugal, the same place London rivals Fulham went last month.

The Cottagers took part in activities such as golf and fishing while they were away, returning refreshed to draw at high-flying Manchester City and beat Blackburn.

With West Ham facing tough games against Tottenham, Manchester United and Bolton after next Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final at Stoke, Upson believes his side could enjoy a similar benefit.

"It has a value, absolutely. There's a place for it," he said.

"If you get the time and the right scenario and the right group and get it together, there's a definite advantage in doing that with the team."

He added: "I think we'll get some golf in, definitely.

"Everyone's been working hard and training hard for six, seven months now.

"So it's nice to get that mental relaxation as well as physical."

Bonding is something Upson has been doing with fellow defender Manuel da Costa, who was outstanding on his return to the starting line-up yesterday.

As well as scoring the second goal, the French-born Portuguese player helped the Hammers keep their first clean sheet in the league since New Year's Day.

"If you're going to criticise him in any way, you'd say experience-wise and his decision-making, he could be a bit calmer at times," said Upson, who revealed he mostly uses "eye contact" and "sign language" to communicate with a player who hardly speaks a word of English.

"But when you want somebody in a game to go and attack a ball and get physical with someone, there's not many better.

"Physically, he's one of the best players I've seen."

The turning point of yesterday's game was undoubtedly the calamitous mix-up between Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and defender Marc Wilson which allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring.

Begovic said: "I remember the ball being played through and I came sliding and the ball bounced a bit weird and over my foot.

"It looks a bit silly and obviously it's my fault for making a challenge and not making it well."

The 23-year-old added: "It's one of those things. It's the life of the goalkeeper.

"You make one mistake and it's in the back of the net.

"You have to move on, take it on the chin and learn from it.

"You have to learn, you have to make mistakes.

"Every game, you learn something new and, being young, I guess it's part of the growing pains."

Stoke's defeat was a club record sixth in a row away from home in the league and left them just three points above their opponents and four clear of the relegation zone.

Arguably, more than half the teams in the table are currently embroiled in a relegation dogfight and Begovic admitted the Potters were one of them.

"There's a lot of teams in it, of course, and I think we are not safe by any means," he said.

"We have to pick ourselves up and start picking up points fast, to push away from the relegation zone and establish ourselves, maybe, at the top of the table."