Premier League
Birmingham City 2-2 West Ham United 

Saturday, 6th November 2010
by Staff Writer

West Ham threw away a glorious chance to record their first league win away from home since August 2009 at St Andrews this afternoon.

Avram Grant's side remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premier League after throwing away a two goal lead and being forced to settle for one point instead of three on a lively afternoon in the Midlands.

Frederic Piquionne gave United the lead their first half dominace deserved just three minutes after the break when he sidefooted home a precision pass from Scott Parker. That lead was doubled ten minutes later when Valon Behrami finished in similar fashion after he had been expertly found by Carlton Cole some 15 yards from goal.

The game could have been all but over three minutes later when Victor Obinna's crashing effort struck the underside of Ben Foster's crossbar before bouncing to safety; as it was, Birmingham pulled one back against the run of play when Cameron Jerome lost marker Danny Gabbidon to convert a probing header from Nikola Zigic on 64.

For the first time in the game West Ham were on the backfoot and it was no surprise when Birmoingham levellled the scores with 17 minutes left on the clock. Rob Green - who minutes earlier has made yet another world class stop from Seb Larsson's free kick - could only parry a second effort and former Hammers trainee Liam Ridgewell was first to react, prodding the ball into an empty net.

Avram Grant will no doubt have been happy with a point prior to the game but having seen his side in such a strong position with less than half-an-hour to play should be nothing less than furious at the way the lead was spurned. The solitary point leaves West Ham two points adrift of 19th-places Wolves, who lost 2-1 to Man Utd this afternoon.

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Player Ratings

Robert Green
Comments to follow.


Lars Jacobsen
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Herita Ilunga
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Danny Gabbidon
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Matthew Upson
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Scott Parker
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Valon Behrami
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Luis Boa Morte
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Victor Obinna
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Carlton Cole
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Frederic Piquionne
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Substitutes

Kieron Dyer
(Replaced Boa Morte, 83 mins) Comments to follow.


Radoslav Kovac
(Replaced Obinna, 90+1 mins) Comments to follow.


Marek Stech
Did not play.


Winston Reid
Did not play.


James Tomkins
Did not play.


Pablo Barrera
Did not play.


Benni McCarthy
Did not play.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Robert Green, Lars Jacobsen, Herita Ilunga, Danny Gabbidon, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Valon Behrami, Luis Boa Morte, Victor Obinna, Carlton Cole, Frederic Piquionne.

Goals: Frederic Piquionne 48 Valon Behrami 58                .

Booked: Victor Obinna           .

Sent off: None.

Birmingham City: Foster, Carr, Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Fahey, Hleb, Zigic, Jerome.

Subs not used: Doyle, Parnaby, Derbyshire, Phillips.

Goals: Jerome (64), Ridgewell (73).

Booked: None.

Sent off: None.

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Attendance: 26,474.

Man of the Match: Carlton Cole.