Blues made a trio of changes for the trip to take on West Ham but in the end it was a couple of goals that were the significant statistics on a cold night in East London.
Alex McLeish's men had their moments and never gave up the fight to the bitter end but it was a first half injury time Alessandro Diamanti free-kick and 68th minute Carlton Cole header that proved to be the difference at the final whistle.
Visiting boss McLeish made changes for the first time in 12 Premier League games. With Christian Benitez out due to an ankle injury Big Eck opted to bring in Kevin Phillips for a starting berth following the frontman's two-goal match winning salvo against Wolves.
Widemen James McFadden and Seb Larsson were also omitted from the beginning eleven and took places on the bench, meaning starts for both Craig Gardner and Keith Fahey.
The game of course had an extra twist with the home side now under the charge of former Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold but in the week leading up to the fixture McLeish had pointed out that once the "sideshows" were set aside it would be all about the action.
So, at 7.45pm prompt, referee Mike Dean got proceedings underway and, for the following 90 minutes at least, it would indeed be all about the football.
West Ham started brightly and immediately pressed, giving the Upton Park faithful plenty to cheer about in the early stages.
But Blues soon got on the ball and started to show the organised and patient build up play that has been such a feature of the season so far.
With just under six minutes on the clock Barry Ferguson fed Liam Ridgewell out on the left and his whipped cross to the back post was met by Gardner who had risen above Herita Ilunga but could only angle his header straight into the arms of Robert Green.
On 10 Stephen Carr felled Diamanti and the Hammers were awarded a free-kick out on the left. Blues headed the danger clear through Scott Dann but the hosts picked up the loose ball and after starting a neat three-man passing manoeuvre Scott Parker curled an angled shot five yards wide with the outside of his right boot.
Tomkins then tried his luck from range but Joe Hart got down well to his left to clutch on to the 30-yard effort before Hart was forced to show superb chest control and an expert volley to clear after Carr had tested him with a lofted backpass.
With 18 played Cole split the Blues defence with a low pass that released Mido but the Egyptian dallied on the ball and by the time he'd cut back onto his left foot Dann had positioned himself perfectly to block the striker's low shot.
On 23 Cameron Jerome and Phillips combined well and managed to force a corner out on the left which Gardner swung in right-footed. Robert Green came off his line and got a hand to it but didn't clear the danger entirely and seconds later the ball was back at the feet of Gardner, the Blues midfielder by now in a central position on the edge of the box, but his optimistic lob floated straight back to Green.
The visitors were upping the ante and just a couple of minutes later West Ham struggled to clear their lines and after Phillips had poked a shot goalwards from within a melee Jerome rounded Green from a tight angle and chipped a cross back into the six yard box which the home side eventually cleared.
Diamanti then stung Hart's fingertips with a 35-yard drive that was fizzing goalwards until the stopper superbly tipped it over the bar.
On 29 Jerome shot agonisingly wide of Green's right-hand post after Phillips had pushed on Gardner's pass. Blues could smell the scent of the first goal but had to remain aware of the threat of the counter attack.
Three minutes later Cole twisted and turned past Dann just inside the area on the left hand side and created space for a right-footed effort which he curled ten yards wide of target. But 60 seconds later Dann produced some wonderful defending with a last gasp block after Cole had pulled the trigger from 14 yards.
With seven minutes to go until half-time Roger Johnson's raking ball out to the left found Ridgewell and he played a quick pass into the feet of Phillips. The experienced frontman rolled the ball to his right a yard before looping in a shot from the edge of the box that Green rose to tip over.
On 42 former Hammer Bowyer became the first player to go into the referee's notebook for a challenge on Diamanti close to the touchline and with just a minute to go to the break Gardner flung a lovely pass across the face of the six-yard box that Jerome couldn't quite get on the end of try as he might.
In first half injury time Parker burst forward from centre-field and drew Dann into a foul on the edge of the area, for which the Blues man picked up a yellow card. But there was to be an even worse punishment - a goal.
Diamanti stepped up and gleefully curled an unstoppable free-kick over the visiting wall and into the top corner to the delight of the home fans. It was the very last bit of significant action of the first half and a punch in the stomach for McLeish's men.
West Ham brought on Jonathan Spector for Herita Ilunga at the start of the second half but it was Blues who came out of the traps fastest. A clever Gardner free-kick, rolled in the direction of Jerome, was a great idea and caught Gianfranco Zola's side unaware but had a tad too much weight on it and was scooped up by a thankful Green.
On 54 Fahey was up-ended by Julien Faubert on the left of the area almost 30 yards out and Green was forced to dive full length to his left to punch away Gardner's swirling set-piece.
Gardner was brought down by ex-Blue Upson just outside the box on 62 and the West Ham defender became the latest player to see his name penned in the referee's little black book.
The hosts made another change in bringing on Ilan for Mido three minutes later and then McLeish also made a substitution, Fahey leaving the field of play after shaking hands with his replacement James McFadden.
But the Scot had only been on the field of play a matter of seconds when West Ham doubled their lead on 68. Faubert sprang the Blues defence down the right and unleashed a low cross that was headed home by a stooping Cole from close range.
However Blues refused to give up and with McFadden foraging down the left were still making openings.
With just over a quarter of an hour remaining the Scot found Phillips deep inside the area and it was only good timing and an equally good tackle from Tomkins that prevented the striker from bursting the back of the net.
Spanish midfielder Michel entered the fray on 77 as a sub for Bowyer who received a strangely mixed farewell from the crowd he used to play in front of week in, week out.
Phillips smashed a shot over as the game reached its dying embers but the flag had already gone up for off-side and it wouldn't have counted.
Blues continued to dominate possession in the final minutes but couldn't manage to grab a goal that would surely have set up a grandstand finish and the Hammers stood firm to record a vital 2-0 win in their battle against relegation.
West Ham: Robert Green, Scott Parker (Mark Noble 86), Mido (Ilan 65), Carlton Cole, Radoslav Kovac, Matthew Upson, Julien Faubert, Valon Behrami, Herita Ilunga (Jonathan Spector 46), James Tomkins, Alessandro Diamanti. Unused subs: Marek Stech, Manuel da Costa, Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas.
Blues: Joe Hart, Stephen Carr (C), Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Liam Ridgewell, Craig Gardner, Lee Bowyer (Michel 77), Barry Ferguson, Keith Fahey (James McFadden 67), Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome. Unused subs: Maik Taylor, Stuart Parnaby, Seb Larsson, Jake Jervis, Gregory Vignal.
Referee: Mike Dean
Bookings: Bowyer (42), Dann (45), Upson (62),
Goals: Diamanti (45), Cole (68)
Attendance: 34,458
