Source: Team_Talk
Bowyer bags again to beat Hammers
The 32-year-old midfielder, who made the permanent switch from Upton Park in the summer after an initial loan spell, settled the match with his sixth goal of the campaign.[LNB]It enabled City to record a fourth successive league win and equal their best top-flight run for five years and since the Steve Bruce era.[LNB]Bowyer, to his credit, did not indulge in any undue celebrations after breaking the deadlock with his third goal in the last four games.[LNB]But he would have taken immense pleasure from his actions after becoming surplus to requirements at Upton Park.[LNB]Birmingham were the dominant side for much of the game, with Barry Ferguson again impressing in the centre of the park.[LNB]But they had to survive a late onslaught and were indebted again to some rock solid defending from Roger Johnson and Scott Dann before claiming the points.[LNB]Bowyer won the game's first corner and, from Sebastian Larsson's cross, the home side came close to taking the lead.[LNB]Johnson got on the end of Larsson's near-post ball and his first time flick forced an excellent close-range save out of Robert Green. Liam Ridgewell was first to react to the rebound but his shot was blocked.[LNB]Radoslav Kovac became the first player to be yellow carded after a challemge on James McFadden. Then Ferguson was booked after 16 minutes for kicking the ball away after West Ham had been awarded a free-kick.[LNB]Bowyer got on the end of a low cross from Cameron Jerome after starting the move himself but he failed to make proper contact on his shot which flew wide of the far post.[LNB]West Ham came more into the game after the half-hour mark and Alessandro Diamanti twice went close in the space of 30 seconds.[LNB]First he drilled a powerful shot into the side netting and then was only just wide with a swerving effort from the edge of the box.[LNB]Ferguson was again impressing in the centre of the park for Blues and a superb pass picked out the run of Christian Benitez.[LNB]But Green was alert to the situation and came out to block his shot and also the rebound attempt from the Ecuador international.[LNB]Junioe Stanislas was adopting a shoot-on-sight policy and Joe Hart went down to his right to keep out a long-range effort which took a slight deflection.[LNB]But Jerome should have done better in first-half injury-time when heading over from a Ridgewell centre.[LNB]Stanislas was booked with seconds remaining of the half for hauling back Benitez.[LNB]Benitez had the ball in the net after a minute of the second period but he had strayed a yard offside.[LNB]After 50 minutes Bowyer broke the deadlock.[LNB]Jerome and Benitez combined before the ball was threaded through to Bowyer and he drilled the ball past Hart from 10 yards out.[LNB]The 32-year-old was mobbed by his team-mates but only indulged in only the minimum of celebrations after scoring against his former club.[LNB]Birmingham came close to doubling their lead when Benitez released Jerome in space inside the box and his rising shot was turned aside for a corner by Green.[LNB]Ridgewell then fired over at the far post after Jerome had flicked on another dangerous inswinging free-kick from Larsson.[LNB]Hart diverted a low shot from Diamanti around the post before the visitors made a double change, bringing on Kieron Dyer and Jack Collison in place of Kovac and Stanislas.[LNB]Dyer almost made an instant impact, cutting in from the left flank and seeing his shot crash against the far post.[LNB]Noble was booked for a push in the back on Bowyer and Johnson followed him into the referee's notebook for a challenge on Dyer.[LNB]The Hammers were reduced to ten men after 79 minutes when Noble brought down Benitez and was dismissed for a second bookable offence.[LNB]Hart denied Guillermo Franco after he had been put clear by Scott Parker and at the other end Jerome found himself one on one with Green but shot wide.[LNB][LNB]
