LONDON (AP) - Mark Noble's controversial second-half penalty secured a 1-0 victory for West Ham at Birmingham after goalkeeper Colin Doyle brought down quicksilver striker Craig Bellamy.
Noble's winner saw West Ham bounce back from last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester City, while the defeat leaves promoted Birmingham still searching for their first win since being promoted to the Premiership.
Blues boss Steve Bruce was an angry man after the match and let his feelings known to reporters,
"Everybody in the ground knows that Bellamy played for the penalty. You could see it coming. The ball was already out and there was contact,? he fumed.
"Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, but it does seem to be the small clubs do not seem to get those decisions."
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley disagreed, saying: "If a keeper comes out like that he has to get the ball and he didn't. I felt the incident when Kieron Dyer was fouled was a certain penalty as well."
Doyle, at fault with two of Chelsea?s goals in Birmingham's 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, was adjudged to have brought down Welsh international Bellamy in the area. Noble stepped up and calmly converted the resultant penalty. Not everyone in the stadium agreed with the decision, but the Hammers took away all three points.
The result was particularly satisfying for former Birmingham defender Matthew Upson, skippering the visitors in the absence of Lucas Neill and on the receiving end of a hostile reception by the St. Andrews home supporters.
Dyer, a midfielder recalled to the England national squad, made his debut for the Hammers following the completion of his L6 million move to Upton Park from Newcastle on Thursday and was in an upbeat mood after the match.
"I think it was well documented that I wanted to be nearer to my family, but I also see West Ham as a club that is really going places," said Dyer. "A lot of the players that have signed have a bit of a point to prove as have the players who came so close to relegation last season so everyone shares that hunger which can only be a good thing."
Overall it was a sound performance from West Ham, who might have won by a bigger margin had striker Bobby Zamora not been so wasteful in front of goal.
Noble was outstanding and apart from converting penalty, he hit the post with a free-kick while also showing he can be an effective playmaker in addition to being an all-action, bustling midfielder.
