Birmingham City 1, West Ham 0: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Dec 14 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

courted by Sullivan and David Gold, showed Blues plenty of respect by the way they approached the match. Blues were favourites, in form, and expected to win. It was as if the Hammers knew this too well and what Blues managed, as sometimes they haven’t in previous incarnations, is to deliver when the underdog tag has been cast aside.

The result ended up close by virtue of the inability to take the chances created before West Ham had to go for broke towards the latter stages. Lee Bowyer – who else? – plundered the goal in the 52nd minute after a sharp attack when West Ham were hurried out of possession. Cameron Jerome headed over from six yards and Liam Ridgewell, from more or less under the crossbar, somehow hoisted the ball over the bar from a free-kick that skidded to the back post in between Bowyer’s strike.

Kieron Dyer hit the base of the post for West Ham in the 70th minute with a fine curling effort and Joe Hart, abetted by Stephen Carr, saved with his feet when Guillermo Franco escaped through.

Jerome could have eased the tension among the fans at the end when he motored away only to plant his shot just wide, with Robert Green helpless, in the 87th minute.

But Blues have proven time and time again this season they are a doughty side when under pressure, and even Mark Noble’s sending-off, for two yellow cards in a five-minute spell, didn’t have that much of an effect on West Ham as they had to pile forward by then anyway.

But Blues coped with the late onslaught and overall deserved the victory, which equalled their Premier League best run of four-in-a-row of Christmas 2004.

West Ham sat in at the beginning and were cautious where Blues were confident, perfectly encapsulating the state of the two clubs at present.

It was a tight, scruffy affair with Blues on top without really making their superiority pay, until Bowyer registered his sixth goal of the season.

"Are you watching, Sullivan?’’ taunted those at the Tilton Road End. Sullivan and Gold are trying to buy West Ham, and the former revealed he wanted Blues to win because it was the team the old board "left behind’’, a "fantastic’’ team.

He got his wish, but where the credit for Blues’ emergence into a top-half outfit should go is to McLeish and his band of brothers that have to step out there and perform.

Yeung is apparently beside himself with joy at what McLeish and the players have achieved so far; the manager is the apple of his eye.

With Yeung’s continued support and the sound, sensible, all-embracing plans that are seemingly being put into place at St Andrew’s, it’s reasonable to expect a sure, possibly exciting, future for Blues.

As for West Ham, that’s anyone’s guess and even should Sullivan and Gold go in, it could take one heck of a long time to fashion a glowing legacy.