Birmingham 1-2 West Ham

West Ham celebrate Bobby Zamora's goal at Birmingham

Birmingham's miserable run of form in the Premiership continued as they threw away a lead to lose against West Ham.

The Blues began brightly and went in front when Emile Heskey collected a pass from David Dunn, took the ball past Roy Carroll and slotted home.

But Mario Melchiot and Muzzy Izzet went off injured and the Hammers capitalised through Bobby Zamora's fine solo goal.

Marlon Harewood converted a cross from Matthew Etherington to score the winner and leave the Blues in 19th spot.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce must have known his luck was out again when Melchiot limped off just eight minutes into the game.

Things quickly got better as Heskey latched on to a perfect Dunn through ball and rounded Carroll before exquisitely slotting in from a narrow angle.

West Ham went close to levelling as Hayden Mullins headed off target and the livewire Harewood lashed a shot wide and despite being behind they looked the more confident of the two teams.

Zamora went close when his flashing header cannoned back off the bar, but the former Brighton hitman soon got on to the scoresheet.

He dribbled into the area, wonderfully evading four tackles and with the outside of his right foot he sent the ball between the legs of Nico Vaesen.

Harewood, who worked tirelessly all evening, compounded the Blues' misery when he hammered into the roof of the net after Etherington's low cross from the byeline took a double deflection across goal.

Birmingham fought hard for an equaliser after the break and were roared on by a crowd desperate to see their team close the gap on safety.

But when Dunn dragged a shot wide and Nicky Butt failed to control when in a good position they must have known it was not to be their day.

As the clock ticked down Heskey sent the supporters into raptures when he put the ball in the net, but he was booked by referee Martin Atkinson for using his hand.

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Birmingham manager Steve Bruce:
"Having to make the changes is hard but there was not enough resilience and we conceded two poor goals - I don't want to make excuses.

"We created some good chances and could not take them, it's a difficult time.

"We now have to show some guts and some character and we have to be ready to take on Fulham on Saturday."

West Ham boss Alan Pardew:
"Bobby is a very clever guy and I fancied him to do well, he really came up good for us.

"I thought Marlon was man of the match. He never stopped working and I don't think we would have won without him.

"It is another away win and they are very important. We can look the right way now, which is up and not down."

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Birmingham: Vaesen, Melchiot (Lazaridis 8), Cunningham, Martin Taylor (Kilkenny 45), Upson, Pennant, Johnson, Izzet (Butt 23), Gray, Dunn, Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Maik Taylor, Jarosik.

Booked: Heskey.

Goals: Heskey 11.

West Ham: Carroll, Repka, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky, Benayoun (Newton 90), Noble (Dailly 78), Mullins, Etherington, Harewood, Zamora (Bellion 69).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Clarke.

Booked: Repka.

Goals: Zamora 36, Harewood 45.

Att: 24,010.

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).