Zola relieved after Hammers give City the Blues

West Ham eased the pressure on manager Gianfranco Zola after moving out of the relegation zone with a crucial 2-0 win over Birmingham at Upton Park on Wednesday.

New Hammers' owners David Sullivan and David Gold, who spent 16 years at Birmingham, claim Zola's job is safe despite the team's struggles this season.

But there is already friction behind the scenes after the Italian boss criticised the timing of an announcement from Sullivan promising wage cuts for players and staff.

However, Zola may get away with his outburst after goals from Alessandro Diamanti and Carlton Cole ensured West Ham lived up to Gold's pre-match promise to give Birmingham "a whacking".

Blues boss Alex McLeish claimed Sullivan and Gold had done his pre-match talk for him with that inflammatory statement, but the visitors never got going.

Zola handed striker Mido his first home start and the Egyptian nearly got off the mark immediately, narrowly failing to convert after captain Matthew Upson's towering header caused chaos in the area.

Joe Hart suffered an awkward moment when full-back Stephen Carr, under pressure from Scott Parker, gave him a bouncing back-pass but the on-loan Manchester City keeper kept his composure and volleyed clear.

This scare sparked the Hammers into action and Diamanti tested Hart with a fierce drive which the keeper saved well.

City striker Cameron Jerome had the next chance but the former Cardiff man could only muster a tame shot wide of the target after being released by Lee Bowyer.

England striker Cole, who had been shackled well by the Blues defence, then went close twice in as many minutes.

Diamanti released the big forward down the left channel and the former Chelsea player used his strength to turn marker Scott Dann and hit a fizzing drive which flew inches wide of the post.

Moments later a hacked clearance fell at his feet in the penalty area but his firm shot was blocked by defender Dann's last-gasp block.

Diamanti finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a superb free-kick after Dann's crude tackle curtailed Parker's dribble.

The Italian stepped up to the dead-ball and curled a 25-yard shot past a flailing Hart into the top corner of the goal, giving his countryman the perfect half-time gift.

Buoyed by his goal, Diamanti came out in the second-half full of energy as he slalomed between two defenders but his long-range shot lacked the potency and accuracy of his free-kick.

Cole gave the home team much needed breathing space 20 minutes into the second-half with his eighth goal of the league campaign.

French right-back Julien Faubert made a marauding charge down the wing before delivering a perfect cross which Cole dived to meet, heading firmly past Hart.

The second goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors who continued to harry and chase the home team, but seemed to lack any conviction when they had the ball themselves as the Hammers easily held out.