SAFE FOUR NOW

West Ham 4, Blackburn 1

ALAN CURBISHLEY went into the game a condemned man in the eyes of some but emerged with a stay of execution.

Results and performances over the coming weeks will dictate whether Curbishley can convince West Ham’s board and fans he is still the man to take the club forward.

But if they have a few more days like this then all the talk that Curbishley was about to be sacked and replaced by Slaven Bilic would seem senseless speculation.

Such a scenario is still on the agenda, although the notion it could happen over the next fortnight now seems unlikely.

Amazingly, this is West Ham’s best start to a Premier League season in nine years.

In that sense it is crazy that the destiny of a manager can turn on one game so soon in the season, but that’s how it is, increasingly so in the Premier League.

Fate inevitably plays its hand and so often when you are down it conspires against you.

It was the exact opposite for Curbishley yesterday, which may just suggest he can emerge from what has been a difficult few weeks not just stronger but the man who can push the Hammers on towards success. All the breaks went for the under-pressure boss yesterday.

Blackburn lost star striker Roque Santa Cruz early on with injury and had what should have been a first-half equaliser ruled out.

They then saw Robert Green save a 47th-minute penalty and Craig Bellamy, the player who has been so missed by the Hammers, come off the bench and inspire the late flurry of two stoppage-time goals.

Curbishley said: “We all needed that. It has been a difficult week but I’d rather be the one taking the stick than the players.

“It was a strange game really because we ended up winning 4-1 but for periods in the second half were holding on. For me we should really be seeing where we are as a club towards the end of the season but that’s not always the way it is.”

Rovers boss Paul Ince was generous in defeat. He said: “It’s hard to take when you play that well and lose so heavily. The result really flattered them.

“But in a way I am pleased for Curbs. He’s a top man and doesn’t deserve to be under the pressure he has been. But I have to say every break went their way and against us. He must be a lucky manager!”

Ince’s dignified attitude contrasted to the predictable boorish stick he suffered.

It’s ridiculous really. It is 19 years since Ince left for Manchester United in acrimonious circumstances that were more down to his naivety than any malice towards a club he had joined as a schoolboy.

Although after an early frenzy of Judas chants it all started to sound more pantomime than profane.

Ince laughed: “It’s a bit of circus now. I’m used to it and, hey, I still have good feelings towards a club I was at as a kid.”

Curbishley couldn’t have wished for a better opposite number to deflect the spotlight away from him. Nor a better start from his team after the debilitating manner of their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City then the struggle to overcome Macclesfield in the midweek Carling Cup tie.

In the 12th minute Calum Davenport towered above Rovers’ Ryan Nelsen to head a Julien Faubert corner past Paul Robinson from close range.

Nine minutes later Mark Noble started and finished the move which was the highlight of another impressive display from the midfielder.

He released Faubert then caught up with the Frenchman to hit a curling shot from the edge of the area which deflected past Robinson off the toe of Christopher Samba under pressure from Dean Ashton.

But Curbishley barely had time to savour the lead before the Hammers defence contrived to invite Blackburn straight back into the game and keep their manager on tenterhooks.

Vince Grella nodded the ball on innocuously but Davenport and then Valon Behrami allowed Jason Roberts to turn them with ease before side-footing past Green.

But the bad luck began to pile on for Rovers.

First they lost the injured Santa Cruz with Ince admitting: “It’s a big blow when you lose your talisman.”

Within a minute of the hitman hobbling off, his replacement Matt Derbyshire seemed to have equalised when he forced a close-range shot past Green from a Samba knockdown.

Mike Riley ruled it out either for offside or a foul — either looked a bad call — and Ince made his feelings known at half-time.

Two minutes after the break Rovers hit rock-bottom when they won — and missed — a penalty.

Riley ruled Carlton Cole had handled in the defensive wall trying to keep out Steven Reid’s free-kick.For some reason Robert Green still isn’t fancied by England but on afternoon where he was always solid he once again showed his prowess as a penalty stopper.

It was almost as if Green out-psyched Roberts as he stepped up and then hit a timid kick to the West Ham keeper’s left.

Green knew where it was going, timed his dive right and fingered the ball to safety.

The keeper then made a fine reaction save with his feet from a far-post Brett Emerton header in the 71st minute.

Bellamy had come on for the tiring Ashton two minutes earlier and immediately offered West Ham an extra dimension up front. Yes he was quickly booked for arguing with the referee — no change there — but his pace and touch put Blackburn on the back foot at a time when they wanted to be committing bodies forward.

In the 77th minute Bellamy produced a screaming shot which Robinson did well to beat away. The Rovers keeper then did equally well seconds later to deny Cole.

But in the five minutes of stoppage time West Ham suddenly went goal crazy.

Bellamy’s pace easily beat the offside trap from a long Lucas Neill clearance and he sprinted forward and hit a stunning drive past Robinson for a class goal.

Then incredibly Cole fired home a Scott Parker cross from close range.

Curbishley said: “Bellamy showed a bit of what we have missed but, while he is going to join up with Wales, I hope sense prevails and he doesn’t play. I have told John Toshack that.”

And he added: “When I saw five minutes injury time go up on the board I wondered where Riley had got it from. But I’m delighted as the two goals made it a big scoreline for us.”

And a big day of relief and, at least for the time being, respite for Curbishley.