Hammers staring down the barrel after City loss

WEST HAM have three games to save their season after slumping to a fifth consecutive defeat at Manchester City, despite a valiant display at Eastlands.

The Hammers fell two goals behind early on from the unlikely sources of Nigel de Jong and then Pablo Zabaleta. However, the visitors hit back after half an hour when Demba Ba drilled home in a penalty box melee, but they could not recover to take a point.

De Jong pounced after Thomas Hitzlsperger failed to clear from a cross, the Dutchman sweeping home from the edge of the box.

Soon after it was two, with Zabaleta beating Robert Green from an acute angle after a neat exchange with David Silva, and Lars Jacobsen’s attempted last ditch clearance succeeding only in helping the ball into the goal.

Robbie Keane spurned an excellent chance to get his team back in the game when he was put through, only for Joe Hart to deny him.

West Ham did get a foothold in the contest on 33 minutes through Ba. Hitzlsperger’s cross deflected off the arm of Joleon Lescott, prompting appeals for a penalty from the gathered away contingent, but the ball fell kindly for the striker, who slammed hit shot into the bottom corner.

Worryingly, Matthew Upson hobbled off, casting doubt over his participation in the run-in.

Mario Balotelli curled a sublime effort against the bar, and he saw another attempt cleared off the line after Silva had squared for him when it may have been more prudent to go it alone.

Manuel da Costa brought a smart stop from Hart with a header from a corner, while at the other end Adam Johnson and James Milner went close.

Carlton Cole saw a late shot blocked and that would be that, the defeat leaving West Ham two points adrift at the bottom of the table and three from safety.

They must take at least seven points from their final three games to stand a chance of beating the drop, with fixtures against Blackburn, Sunderland and Wigan all to come.