Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 2 Birmingham 1: Ben Foster gaffe hands 10-man Hammers the advantage in semi-final first leg
As the manager of West Ham, Avram Grant exists from day to day. He is aware that his employers are courting other managers behind his back, just as he is aware that not everyone at Upton Park is on his side.[LNB]But after less than 20 months as a manager in English football, this likeable and yet widely unloved Israeli is within touching distance of a third cup final appearance at Wembley and a fourth final in total if we throw in that extraordinary Champions League night in Moscow. A night when he came within a John Terry penalty of lifting the European Cup.[LNB]Clearly, Grant has something. Clearly, he commands the respect of his players, judging by the way they seem to battle for him in the semi-finals he has contested.[LNB] Oops: Ben Foster can't believe his error that handed West Ham the 'half-time' lead in the Carling Cup semi-final[LNB]Only last weekend, former Englandgoalkeeper David James revealed how Grant is the only manager he hasplayed under in more than 20 years who has successfully 'turned adressing room around'.[LNB]Chelsea's Frank Lampard was gushingin his praise for Grant at a Football Writers' Association tributedinner in his honour last year and, for all the difficulties this WestHam side are experiencing in the Barclays Premier League, there seem tobe plenty of players here who have not yet given up on him.[LNB]Exactly how West Ham's directorsfeel about Grant we should know later today. There is a board meetingscheduled for this morning when his future is sure to be a subject ofdiscussion. [LNB]But it should be more difficult tosack him when his side somehow emerged from an astonishing Carling Cupsemi-final first leg with an advantage they can take to St Andrew's ina fortnight.[LNB] Cole's goal: Carlton Cole milks the attention of his team-mate having been the main benefactor of Foster's gaffe[LNB]After 45 minutes they reallydeserved more than a single goal from Mark Noble, so impressive werethey in the way they terrorised Birmingham with their fast, flowing football. Noble was terrific, as was Scott Parker.[LNB]But a soft 56th-minute equaliser wasfollowed, three minutes later, by the dismissal of Victor Obinna, andwith it the likelihood of a second goal for Alex McLeish's side and thesubsequent dismissal of Grant.[LNB]That it was West Ham who scored wasremarkable, especially when Carlton Cole's 78th-minute winner owed somuch to the blunder that was committed by Ben Foster. Until he allowedCole's shot to slip through his legs, he had been a contender for manof the match.[LNB]Foster had been the main reason WestHam did not score more in that one-sided first half. Now he was facedwith being haunted by another potentially career-defining mistake.[LNB] [LNB] Noble cause: Mark Noble volleyed West Ham into a deserved lead[LNB]For Grant, it amounted to a possiblelifeline; the chance to at least remain in position for another twoweeks, even if his position will continue to be the subject of feveredspeculation. [LNB]Grant remains dignified in the wayhe conducts himself, doing his best to look at everything in aspositive a light as possible. He points out that West Ham are amongseven clubs fighting to climb away from the bottom of the table, justas he pointed out in his programme notes that his team are 'just twopoints off 14th place'.[LNB] [LNB] Old friend: Liam Ridgewell - an Upton park youth trainee - heads Birmingham back into the game[LNB]He will believe 11 men can secureWest Ham's first appearance in a final at Wembley in 30 years,especially if they perform as well as they did before Ridgewell met aSebastian Larsson corner with a fine header and the foolish Obinna wassent off for kicking out at Birmingham's Swedish winger.[LNB] Until then they dominated thevisitors, even with Matthew Upson deployed as an emergency left back.Upson was the first player to test Foster after 13 minutes but theEngland goalkeeper proved powerless to stop Grant's men scoring. [LNB]Noblecreated the opportunity and then converted it, floating a cross to thefar post for Obinna. When his header was blocked, Jonathan Spectordrove the ball back into the path of Noble and he responded with astinging strike. [LNB] [LNB] Petulant: Victor Obinna pleads his case after being rightly sent off for kicking out at Seb Larsson (left)[LNB] [LNB]West Ham's football was fluent andexplosive. Entertaining, too. Within seconds, Foster had to save fromFreddie Sears and James Tomkins.[LNB]After spending the interval withMcLeish, however, who brought on David Murphy, Birmingham attacked withmore purpose, first making it 1-1 and then finding themselves with anextra man. [LNB] But Grant sent on Cole and it wasthe player who has been scathing in his public criticism of his managerwho swung this tie back in West Ham's favour albeit after meetingSpector's cross with a shot that, while it took a slight deflection offRoger Johnson, should have been dealt with by Foster.[LNB]Upton Park erupted for a secondtime. 'We're going to Wembley,' they cried. On this occasion, Foster'spain is Grant's gain. For now, at least.[LNB] [LNB] CARLING CUP LIVE: West Ham 2 Birmingham 1 - all the action from Upton Park as it happenedMoving Tottenham to east London would rip 'the heart and soul' out of the club's communityFiorentina refuse to concede defeat in Behrami battle as Hammers want £4.5mAll the latest Birmingham news, features and opinionAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Matthew Upson, James Tomkins, David Murphy, David James, Alex McLeish, Carlton Cole, Frank Lampard, Ben Foster Places: Birmingham, Moscow, Spain
