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Curbishley: European dreams

Full-time: West Ham 1 Birmingham 1. All square at Upton Park where the Hammers are booed off after a lacklustre performance.

90 + 4 - Slip: Faubert again with space on the right, and again he tries to cross instead of shoot. He slips as he delivers though and loops his cross up into the air and Taylor easily clears.

Booked: Maik Taylor goes into the book for time wasting.

Sub: Ashton replaced by Spector. Some of the Hammers fans are not too happy with Ashton's performance and there is a rippling of boos.

Four minutes of time added on to be played.

90 - Aimless: Neither side looks like getting a winner if the quality of passes does not improve.

Sent-off: Bowyer lunges in with a challenge on Damien Johnson and he is dismissed. He didn't make contact with the Birmingham man but he went in with his studs showing.

Sub: Stuart Parnaby comes on for McSheffrey after the winger took a knock to the face in the clash with Mullins.

86 - Scrap: Mullins and McSheffrey get in a tangle and the Birmingham man is perhaps lucky to escape a second yellow card after seemingly kicking out at the West Ham midfielder.

85 - Slow: West Ham appear to have run out of ideas are have resorted to long pumps towards Ashton. There is no way through at the moment though.

Sub: Henri Camara comes on in place of Etherington. Attacking move by the Hammers.

82 - Poor: McFadden drills a low shot striaght at Green when trying to find Jerome in the area would probably have been a better idea.

81 - Solid: Birmingham pepper the West Ham box with a number of crosses but the Hammers defence stand firm and extinguish the threat.

79 - Strength: Jerome does well to hold off Upson, but his pass towards Larsson is poor and gives the Swede no chance of retaining possession.

77 - Waste: West Ham win a free-kick on the edge of the box. Ashton decides to go under the wall instead of over it and there are too many bodies in the way.

Sub: Forssell makes way for Cameron Jerome.

76 - So close: Forssell turns well away from Upson and his shot across the face of Green only narrowly beats the far post.

75 - Off target: Ashton with another ambitious effort from all of 25-yards and once again he fails to hit the target.

74 - Good climb: Etherington's free-kick is met well by a towering Upson but he can't generate enough power on his header and Taylor gets down well to keep it out.

73 - Numbers:Birmingham break quickly and have three on three at one point. Forssell tries to slide in McFadden, but his pass clips the heels of Ferdinand and Bowyer hammers clear.

Booked: Muamba cautioned for unsporting behaviour.

71 - Driven in: Faubert's cross is too hard for Ljungberg to control, but he does force Ridegewell to knock the ball behind. Etherington's resulting corner is easily cleared and another attack goes begging for the Hammers.

69 - Double chance: Faubert has space at the back post but decides to hook the ball across instead of going for goal, and when the ball eventually finds its way to Ashton he mishits his shot from 10-yards out.

69 - Cautious: West Ham are seeing plenty of the ball, but at the moment they seem reluctant to push men forward.

67 - Difficult: Etherington lays the ball off to Mullins 25-yards out, but his shot is always rising and dosen't trouble Taylor. Groans from the home support who are becoming impatient by their sides inability to break Birmingham down.

64 - Safety first: McCartney with a dangerous cross to the back post and Murphy is forced to flick it behind with Faubert breathing down his neck.

Sub: Cole looks surprised to see his number, but Faubert has replaced the striker.

61 - Space: Ashton does well on the box to find space when surrounded by defenders. He drags his shot though and it trickles wide when he should have done better.

60 - Well over: The ball ricochets around on the edge of the box before Ashton's wild swipe goes sailing high into the crowd.

58 - Safe hands: McCartney delivers another long throw into the box, but Taylor takes no chances on this occasion and comes to claim over the top of a group of players.

Booked: McSheffrey gets a yellow card for a wild challenge on Ljungberg.

56 - Deflection: McSheffrey cuts in off the left wing and drives an effort at goal. It cannons off Ferdinand and squirts agonisingly wide of the far post. Birmingham almost got lucky.

55 - Collision: Ljungberg, Cole and Murphy all go up for the same ball and as the ball drops into the box, the Birmingham man is awarded a free-kick. Didn't seem to be much in it.

53 - Quiet:Birmingham are doing a good job of frustrating West Ham and have managed to silence the crowd.

51 - Misplaced: Etherington tries to get Cole in behind Taylor, but his pass is off target and trickles out of play for a goal kick.

50 - Too much: Kelly gives McFadden an opportunity to put a cross in from the right, but he takes a touch and tries to beat Upson and only succeeds in losing the ball.

48 - Shove: Forssell goes down on the edge of the box under pressure from Upson. He looks like he was shoved in the back but Mark Clattenburg waves away his protests.

47 - Scrappy: A disjointed start to the second period by both sides as they struggle to retain possession and concede a number of needless free-kicks.

Second-half: West Ham get us started again.

Half-time: West Ham 1 Birmingham 1. West Ham have enjoyed most of the possession and the better of the chances, but Birmingham look dangerous on the break and will still be confident of snatching all three points.

One minute of stoppage time to be played.

45 - Poor: Larsson with a chance to deliver a free-kick into the box. His effort is dismal though and is easily cleared by Cole.

44 - Calm: McSheffrey twists and turns past Neill, but the full-back recovers well and nicks the ball away from the winger.

42 - Low drive: Martin Taylor fails to clear his lines properly and Mullins sends the ball back at goal with interest. The shot is too central though and Taylor gets his body behind it.

40 - Poor touch: McFadden gets in behind with Etherington playing him on-side. His first touch takes him away from goal though and defenders are able to get back and make a challenge.

39 - Easy save: Good football by West Ham and Etherington gets in on goal. With just Taylor to beat though he tries to squeeze the ball in at the near post and the keeper is able to push the effort over the bar.

38 - Wrong option: McCartney with an ambitious effort from the edge of the box. His curling shot never looks at target though and he would have been better looking for Ashton in the box.

37 - Sloppy: Some of the passes in midfield are becoming hurried by both sides.

35 - Opportunity: McFadden with a great cross which drops onto the head of Forssell who has found room in between the centre-backs. His header is weak though and straight at Green. Should have done better.

Booked: Johnson cautioned for a clumsy foul on the impressive Ljungberg.

32 - Almost: That man Cole again. This time he wins a header against three defenders, but the angle of his knock down takes the ball through to Taylor with Ashton in acres of space eight-yards out.

31 - No problem: Forssell does well to win the ball in the air against Upson. McFadden hasn't gambled though and Green is able to snuff out the danger.

29 - Late run: Cole again causes problems in the air and his flick finds Etherington. His driven cross is met by Bowyer bursting into the box, but he slips at the vital moment and his shot is straight at Taylor.

28 - Wrong foot: McFadden is freed by Forssell, but he has to cross with his right foot and ends up lofting it over the top of those in the middle.

25 - Not active: Mullins lobs the ball over the top of the Birmingham defence and into space. Ljungberg is off-side but Etherington races onto the pass from an on-side position only to then get his shot all wrong and knock it tamely wide of Taylor's goal.

24 - Corner: Ljungberg lofts the set-piece way up in the air and Ashton climbs magnificantly at the back post to win the header and nod across goal. Mark Clattenburg has penalised the striker though for holding his man down and the attack is over.

22 - Mix up: West Ham create space well, but as Bowyer attempts to lay the ball off to Mullins the two midfielders end up getting in each others way and lose possession.

21 - Good chance: McCartney and Etherington link up well down the left and the full-back's low cross almost finds Cole six yards out. Good defending by Ridgewell who read the danger and made sure he got in front of his man.

18 - Block: McCartney with a hanging cross which is only cleared as far as Bowyer. The ball won't drop quickly enough for the midfielder though and Johnson snaps in with a challenge as he prepares to pull the trigger.

16 - GOAL: West Ham 1 Birmingham 1. Robert Green guesses right but can't get a hand to McFadden's well placed spot-kick. Birmingham level with their first real attempt on goal.

15 - Penalty: McFadden slips away from Neill and the Australian drags him down in the box.

14 - So close: Mullins hooks a delicate first time ball into Cole and the striker's instant shot on the turn only narrowly misses the far post. West Ham enjoying the best of the early chances.

13 - Almost: Ljungberg almost escapes in behind Murphy again but the full-back manages to stretch out a leg and intercept the intended pass. Murphy needs to be careful as the Swedish winger is having a field day so far against him.

12 - Well held: Larsson drops a free-kick in around the penalty spot, but Green makes up his mind early to come for the ball and takes it well.

9 - Nice play: Great one touch football between Etherington, Cole and Bowyer ends with the latter sending a low shot fizzing just wide of Taylor's right-hand post.

9 - Burst: Forssell holds the ball up well with Upson in his back and slips a neat pass through towards McFadden. There is just too much pace on the ball though and Green comes out and claims.

7 - GOAL: West Ham 1 Birmingham 0. Long throw from the left by McCartney is flicked on by Cole and Ljungberg ghosts in at the back post to tap home from two yards out.

6 - Threat: Ljungberg has started brightly and wins another corner. Upson climbs well to try and get on the end of Ljungberg's delivery, but the ball is nicked off the top his head.

4 - Wild: Birmingham's first foray into Hammers territory and McFadden smashes a volley into the stands from 20-yards. He had time to take a touch had he looked around him.

3 - Lively: Ashton again threatens Maik Taylor's goal. Neil lifts a cross into the area, and with his back to goal Ashton hooks a decent volley goalwards. Taylor is never worried though and holds the effort easily.

1 - Corner: Bowyer bustles his way into the box and wins a corner. Ljungberg's set-piece finds Ashton in space, but the striker swings his right foot at thin air and the ball rolls clear. Good opportunity for Ashton who had escaped the atttentions of his marker.

Kick-off: Birmingham to get us underway.

West Ham will be looking to stay in the hunt for a European spot, while Birmingham will be hoping to claw their way out of the relegation zone.

Birmingham team: Taylor, Kelly, Taylor, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson, Muamba, Johnson, McSheffrey, Forssell, McFadden. Subs: Zarate, Jerome, Nafti, Parnaby, Doyle

West Ham team: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg, Bowyer, Mullins, Etherington, Ashton, Cole. Subs: Camara, Faubert, Collison, Spector, Wright

Welcome to Upton Park for skysports.com's coverage of today's Premier League encounter between West Ham and Birmingham.