FULL TIME: Elano header sends West Ham tumbling (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

FULL TIME: Elano header sends West Ham tumbling

10:46pm Wednesday 16th January 2008 in West Ham By Guardian-series

Manchester City 1
West Ham 0
(FA Cup third round replay)

ALAN Curbishley bemoaned his team's lack of quality in front of goal as West Ham slumped out of the FA Cup at Manchester City.

A solitary Elano goal was enough to settle the third round replay at Eastlands - the Brazilian playmaker scoring with a diving header 18 minutes from time.

But Curbishley was disappointed to see his side's involvement in the competition come to an end after they had enjoyed the lions' share of possession for an hour of the match and created the better chances.

He said: "We dominated for long periods and I was pleased with most of what we did - but we didn't find the back of the net.

"We took the game to Manchester City but we didn't get the goal and paid the price."

Dean Ashton had a great opportunity to open the scoring in an eventless first half. The striker eluded the City defence to get on the end of Luis Boa Morte's cross, but smashed his volley straight at City keeper Joe Hart.

After the break, Boa Morte should have done much better with a 50th minute opening.

A flowing move involving several players ended with the Portugal forward racing into the clear. But he could only poke a weak shot at Hart when he really should have squared for the unmarked Freddie Ljungberg.

In the 72nd minute, City's Martin Petrov provided the touch of class that the game was crying out for - and it inevitably led to the only goal.

The Bulgarian winger skinned Lucas Neill on the flank and sent in a teasing cross that Rolando Bianchi headed against a post.

Elano reacted quickest to the follow up and headed in from close range to set up a fourth round clash with Sheffield United.

Curbishley added: "It is disappointing to go out, because it is a competition that every team in the Premier League has got to attack - a Premier League team is going to win it."

West Ham: Green, Neill, McCartney, Upson, Ferdinand, Ljungberg (Faubert 61), Etherington, Noble, Bowyer, Boa Morte (Cole 70), Ashton, Unused subs: Wright, Mullins, Spector.