West Ham v Birmingham half-time update

The winner of this battle of two of the bottom three can climb out of the relegation places, but neither West Ham or Birmingham City have edged ahead of their rivals in the opening 45 minutes and it is a 0-0 stalemate.

Winston Reid replaces the injured Danny Gabbidon in the starting XI, while Avram Grant was forced to make a late change as James Tomkins injured himself during the warm-up and Mathew Upson came in to replace him. The Hammers boast the attacking force of loan signing Robbie Keane, who scored on his debut against Blackpool, and the in-form Victor Obinna.

For Birmingham, Camerone Jerome and Barry Ferguson have both overcome their ankle injuries to play, ensuring the visitors are unchanged from their comeback 2-2 draw with high-flying Manchester City in midweek.

A tight struggled to spark into life and it took 20 minutes for Frederic Piquionne to get the first half-chance, when he shot over from just inside the penalty area, and that was closely followed by a long-range effort from Obinna.

There is very little between the sides, which has been evident in the league clash two Carling Cup games between them, with both sides not wanting to make mistakes in what is such a vital relegation clash. The players are obviously nervous but there have been signs throughout the first half the game could spark to life, but defences have remained in control for the majority of the first 45 minutes.

Birmingham's aerial presence when the ball is sent into the box, especially from 6ft 8in Nikola Zigic, has the potential to worry West Ham and dangers the visitors pose on set pieces was evident when Roger Johnson got on the end of a cross on 32 minutes and should have scored, but he missed the target and the hosts could breathe a sigh of relief.

After the defensive problems Grant experienced before kick of by losing Gabbidon and Tomkins, things could get even worse for the Hammers' boss as Upson was seen struggling through the later stages of the first half.

West Ham increased the pressure on the Birmingham defence as the half went on and as the hosts wound the screw the Upton Park crowd increased in volume to inspire their boys in claret. On several occasions the trio of Keane, Obinna and Piquionne showed they can trouble the Brum defence with their pace and power, but McLeish has his back four well marshalled and could prove tricky to break through.

The Hammers would fancy their chances, as there is no doubt they boast a far more dangerous attacking threat than Birmingham and they were unlucky not to have won a penalty in the closing minutes of the first half and Keane blazed over when he should have done better.

West Ham have shown throughout the season they are fragile in defence, even without the injury problems that have plagued them in this game. Birmingham have proved difficult to beat on number occasions so far this campaign, so there is all to play for in the second half at Upton Park.

West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Reid, Tomkins, Bridge, O'Neil, Parker, Noble, Obinna, Piquionne, Keane

Subs: Boffin, Cole, Kovac, Upson, Sears, Ba, da Costa

Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell, Bentley, Ferguson, Gardner, Bowyer, Jerome, Zigic

Subs: Doyle, Murphy, Larsson, Phillips, Fahey, Beausejour, Davies