Birmingham make a mess of a free-kick in a dangerous position and Gardner resorts to taking a strike that sails over the crossbar.

The visitors are pushing forward in numbers now but are still struggling to find a way through the West Ham back-line.

Noble is straight into the action and gets a shot away from inside the box but it does not beat Ferguson who hacks the ball to safety.

Phillips is caught offside again after making a late run into the box and striking a half volley over Green's bar.

The ball drops to Ferguson on the edge of the box but it is a frustrated strike more than anything and he blazes his effort over the bar.

Diamanti looks for Spector on the overlap and bursting into the box but Hart is quick off his line to smother the loose ball.

Birmingham try to work something in the final third but Kevin Phillips is ruled offside.

The hosts will be eager to see this one out and pick up three points now after picking up just one win in their last eleven league games.

Parker is on the break now for West Ham and has options ahead of him before running into a crowd of bodies on the edge of the box.

Bowyer makes a darting run to the near post and gets a shot away. Upson puts the block in and the ball appears to be stopped by his arm but the referee waves play on.

Behrami surges forward and gets a shot away from 20-yards that forces a decent save out of Hart.

The visitors are yet to respond to going another goal down and Cole, who thoroughly deserved his goal, is wreaking havoc.

Mido dispossesses Ferguson and sends a strike straight down the throat of Hart from 25 yards.

Gardner's set-piece finds Johnson at the far post but his cushioned header into the danger area is cleared by Tomkins.

Faubert's delivery from the right flank has been top drawer this evening but this time his inviting cross does not find his target Mido.

Cole does superbly well to shrug off two defenders and hold the ball up for Diamanti whose wild effort flies into the stand behind the goal.

The hosts still look in control of this game and are keeping hold of the ball well, though there is a nervy edge to the game in this second-half.

Tomkins picks up a knock and looks to be struggling for the home side but looks set to continue for now.

Diamanti skips past two Birmingham players before hitting a speculative effort from 25 yards that grazes Hart's post.

Gardner does well down the right wing but cannot find Jerome with a low cross.

Green's punch finds Gardner who tries his luck from 25-yards and drives a strike wide of the target.

Behrami moves in from the right and slices open the Birmingham defence with a pass but Mido is nowhere near it and the ball runs out for a goal-kick.

Diamanti seeks Cole with a long ball which is intercepted by Johnson.

Jerome is inches away from getting a toe on the end of a Gardner cross inside the six-yard box.

Julien Faubert swings a high cross to the far post looking for Mido who cannot latch on to the loose ball.

The visitors get bodies forward and Gardner moves up the right flank before floating a poor cross into the arms of Green.

Phillips lets fly from 20-yards and forces Green into his first save of the game, turning the ball over the bar.

Kevin Phillips is seeing a lot more of the ball now and is the centre of all the moves.

Cole gets a sight of goal again but this time his effort is superbly blocked by Johnson.

Cole turns his marker in the box and blasts a strike wide of the far post.

It is end-to-end stuff now as the hosts push forward but Cole bundles over Roger Johnson in a race for the loose ball.

A great passing move from Birmingham as Bowyer slides a pass through to Jerome who drags his shot wide from inside the box.

Cole holds the ball up for Diamanti who works Hart with a fizzing left-footed strike.

Frantic defending from West Ham as Green is caught off his line and Cameron Jerome's cross bounces across the face of goal.

Mido reaches the byline but cannot find Cole with a low cross.

Green scrambles off his goal-line to palm an in-swinging Gardner corner to safety.

Birmingham are trying to get back into this game and are enjoying a spell of possession in their opponent's half.

Mido is in the thick of things again and cuts back onto his left foot before his curling left-footed effort is saved by Hart.

The West Ham winger gets another dangerous ball into the box but this time it is cleared by a blue shirt.

Diamanti is causing all the problems for Birmingham in these opening stages.

James Tomkins forces a save out of Hart with a low drive from the edge of a box.

Scott Parker puts a cross into the corridor of uncertainty but his team-mates are not on the same wavelength.

It is all West Ham at the moment and the hosts look sharp, passing the ball around with zip.

Mido looks sharp in the opening stages as his glancing header bounces wide of the post.

Liam Ridgewell picks out Craig Gardner at the far post and his header is saved by Rob Green.

An early Birmingham corner finds former Hammer Lee Bowyer on the edge of the box but he cannot direct his header goal-wards.

Carlton Cole is one-on-one with Hart but a dubious offside decision brings the move to an end.

It is a high tempo start from West Ham and a swirling Alessandro Diamanti comes to Mido whose header is taken at the near post by Joe Hart.