A QUITE uproarious tie in the end slipped through Blues and Ben Foster’s grasp.

The goalkeeper’s horrific mistake edged West Ham United the advantage in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg at Upton Park last night.

Blues appeared to be flat-lining initially and were grateful that they were only one goal adrift at the break.

They came surging back to equalise through Liam Ridgewell and when Victor Obinna was shortly afterwards sent-off for kicking Sebastian Larsson, it was theirs to take.

West Ham withstood the Blues onslaught during which Alex McLeish’s side were refused an obvious penalty.

Nevertheless, Blues still looked likely to be heading back for the return at St Andrew’s with, if not victory, then parity and the momentum.

But a totally uncharacteristic error by Foster in the 78th minute when he allowed a weak shot by Carlton Cole to slither through turned things spinning once more, and left Blues cursing on a pulsating night in the East End of London.

Blues set out with Aleksandr Hleb wide left in a 4-5-1 and West Ham matched up the same.

The formation suited the Hammers far better – Obinna and Freddie Sears flanking Frederic Piquionne – in a worrying first-half for Blues.

Blues began tentatively if not nervously, appeared defensively vulnerable and were unable to penetrate.

Blues are usually so well drilled and organised but were anything but.

West Ham let them have the ball and although Blues tried to keep it and pass it about with patience, their moves just fizzled out.

And when they did, that was the cue for West Ham to break on them quickly and with purpose. Blues were giving up too much space and were too easily got at.

West Ham made the breakthrough with a goal that was shoddy from Blues’ perspective, but sadly in keeping with their first-half performance.

Jonathan Spector hooked the ball across the face of goal to the other side of the area after Roger Johnson half-cleared with his head and although Mark Noble was at the tightest of angles, he still managed to blast a way through.

Coming onto the ball first time he let rip and surely under normal circumstances Foster would have stopped the shot but for some reason Scott Dann had veered onto the near post and was standing directly in his line of vision.

Obstructed, Foster couldn’t keep it out and West Ham drew first blood – and could have drained more.

Blues were sure that they should have had a penalty when a claret and blue hand shot up from a Larsson corner soon after Noble’s goal but Phil Dowd was having none of it – nor the clearer incident yet to come. It was a confused, toothless Blues in the opening period and on the stroke of the break there was the distressing sight of Dann pulling up through injury, clutching the back of his leg.

As the rest of the players headed for the dressing rooms Dann was stretchered away.

David Murphy came on for the second-half and Ridgewell, who had had an absolutely horrid time to then, moved across to centre-half.