West Ham 1-0 Manchester City: Jack Collison wins East End battle of Wales

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Craig Bellamy joined Paul Ince, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe in the Upton Park rogues' gallery as cor blimey boyo Jack Collison bagged the winner on St David's Day.

On his return to rhyming slang country, anonymous Bellamy copped dog's abuse and was hauled off after 66 minutes with a sore knee which will be checked out by a specialist today.

Instead the plaudits went to Welsh international Collison, a 20-year-old with the balance and passing range of Trevor Brooking, whose 70th-minute opportunism settled a feisty affair with a high injury toll.

Collison pounced when Shay Given could only parry Hammers substitute Savio's shot, and City's attempts to salvage a point were so feeble that if they had punched a doorbell, nobody would have heard it ring.

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola, relieved by his side's first League win since January, said: "There were a lot of expensive players on the pitch, but the only goal came from a boy who cost nothing - and that's the beauty of football.

"If you have the passion and belief, you can be successful - and Jack is a perfect example of that. He has a great attitude, and he is only going to get better.

"Of course I'm relieved to get a win. I don't think it was only me who was starting to worry about our results of late. But I'm a positive person and now I'm looking up the table towards Europe instead of over my shoulder."

Zola was probably the only claret and blue disciple with no hard feelings about Bellamy's £14million defection to Eastlands, although his team played as if they were determined to stop him scoring at all costs.

"It was nothing personal," insisted Zola. "We didn't want any City player to score, and our performance today was all about dedication, teamwork and sticking together."

They reserve a special welcome in the East End for bar-row boys who turn their backs on the Bubbles anthem, and now City striker Bellamy knows how Ince, Lampard and Defoe feel when they return to the old manor.

Unforgiven for doing a bunk through the transfer window, Bellamy was booed during the pre-match warm-up and the torrent of hatred never ceased until City manager Mark Hughes put him out of his misery.

In fairness, Bellamy was nursing a sore knee - and he was by no means the only culprit responsible for City's eighth away defeat in 14 Premier League excursions this season.

Robinho, the £32million rumour who has done more than anyone to get Hughes the sack, managed to last 90 minutes with a 'Do not disturb' sign hung around his neck.

City finished with 10 men when he limped off in injury time, but nobody noticed the difference.

Collison's third goal of the season may have been against the run of play, but West Ham deserved to hang on for the win which takes them up to seventh.

Only Stoke, West Brom and Fulham have collected fewer points than City on their travels this season.

It is a barren record which ridicules the richest club in the world.

West Ham: Green 6, Neill 6, Upson 7, Tomkins 7, Ilunga 6, Kovac 5 (Spector 83), Parker 8, Collison 8, Behrami 6 (Savio, 42, 6), Di Michele 6 (Lopez 87), Cole 6. Goal: Collison 71
Manchester City: Given 6, Richards 6 (Caicedo, 15, 5), Onuoha 6, Dunne 7, Bridge 5, De Jong 6 (Bojinov 89), Kompany 5, Ireland 5, Zabaleta 5, Robinho 4, Bellamy 5 (Elano 66, 5).
Referee: Mike Dean
Att 34,562

Man of the Match:
Jack Collison: Young, gifted and back to the future

Villain of the Match:
Robinho: A strolling disgrace to the blue moon tendency

Next Three Games
West Ham
Wednesday: Wigan (a) Prem
Mon Mar 16: WBA (h) Prem
Sat Mar 21: Blackburn (a) Prem

Man City
Wednesday: A Villa (h) Prem
Thur Mar 12: Aalborg (h) UEFA C
Sun Mar 15: Chelsea (a) Prem

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