West Ham United 3-3 Birmingham City FT

Final score - West Ham United 3-3 Birmingham City

94 mins - A last chance as Baldock wins a throw. It comes to nothing and Birmingham scramble the ball away. Green launches it long but the Blues clear again and the final whistle is blown. What a game! The home fans clap the Hammers off after that. It's a point and a stirring comeback, but it would have been all three but for some poor defending before the break. The second half was complete one-way traffic. Birmingham hardly had a kick. Big Sam will be pleased by his team's spirit, but unhappy that the second-half display did not contribute to a victory rather than a draw. Fair play, because West Ham have given everything in the second 45 minutes and certainly did not deserve to lose. For highlights and post-match reaction, don't forget to log on to West Ham TV.

93 mins - Tomkins gets his left foot to the ball at the far post, but his volley goes miles over the top.

92 mins - Burke latches on to a pass from Zigic and tries to go past Lansbury inside the box. He over-runs it, but could go down. He doesn't. Goal kick. West Ham go straight up the other end and Myhill gets the ball away somehow before Lansbury's shot hits a West Ham player in the box. The midfielder then completely misses his kick as the ball comes back to him.

91 mins - Into the first of four added minutes and Faye is forced to track back and clear for a throw under pressure from Townsend. It is cleared.

90 mins - Baldock initially does well to get to the ball but then overhits his pass for Lansbury. Goal kick.

88 mins - GOAL! What a penalty that is! Vaz Te smashes the ball high into the net. Can West Ham win this?

87 mins - Penalty! Lansbury's shot hits a hand and West Ham have a penalty. Burke is booked. Vaz Te to take...

87 mins - Another corner! Nolan clips a high cross to the far post and Myhill claws it behind.

86 mins - Another corner, this time as Caldwell slices behind. Myhill punches the initial delivery away before Lansbury heads wide for O'Neil again. His cross is low but Tomkins makes something of it with a flick, but it's safely into the arms of the goalkeeper.

84 mins - Townsend nearly shows a bit at the other end, chopping past Tomkins before shooting, but it's blocked. West Ham break away and Vaz Te sets Collins away down the left. The full-back looks up but overhits his cross. Goal kick.

83 mins - Vaz Te crosses and Townsend tracks the run of Tomkins well to head out for a corner. Tomkins wins the header but Nolan cannot keep the ball in play. Goal kick.

82 mins - Sam Baldock replaces Noble. Time to make yourself a hero Little Sam!

81 mins - Lansbury does well to keep the ball alive inside the Birmingham half and it drops to Nolan, but his snap-shot is straight at Myhill.

80 mins - The clock seems to have sped up since Cole's goal. Collins crosses with his right foot this time but it is a yard too strong for Cole and Myhill dives out bravely to collect at the striker's feet. King is caught offside and is then replaced by Townsend.

78 mins - The Boleyn is rocking as Collins' cross is won by Vaz Te ahead of Myhill, but the ball bounces away. Cole wins a corner. O'Neil crosses but the ball skims off the head of Tomkins.

77 mins - Birmingham are nearly shot here. Faye's diagonal pass is allowed to pass by Vaz Te and Collins catches the bouncing ball on the volley, but it is just over the top again.

75 mins - Cole wins a long ball forward from Faye and Nolan keeps it alive. The ball drops to Cole and he smashes a left-foot volley that just clears the crossbar with Myhill at full-stretch.

74 mins - Zigic again! This time Burke crosses and the giant Serb flashes a header wide of the near post. Head in hands for the big man, and a warning that Birmingham are still a threat on the break.

72 mins - Zigic has more fun. This time he fouls Reid and is booked for some afters.

70 mins - GOAL! Zigic has a part to play in the goal. Noble's free-kick is flicked on by Zigic to Nolan. He hooks the ball over his head for Cole, who controls before shooting low past Myhill with his left foot.

68 mins - 'Daw is going off, with Zigic the man to come on. Meanwhile, Nolan has been booked for dissent.

67 mins - Another penalty appeal turned down as Cole controls Nolan's pass on his chest. Surely he was held back by Caldwell there? Replays suggest he might have had a little tug at the striker's arm.

66 mins - 'Daw has the physio on. It is his right leg that seems to be the problem.

64 mins - A free-kick inside the Birmingham half as Cole is fouled, but O'Neil's delivery is headed clear. Honestly, Birmingham have had about one attack this half and that ended in a cross that went straight out for a goal kick.

63 mins - Good build-up again as Cole holds up and lays off for Lansbury. He finds O'Neil, who tries to find Nolan with a diagonal ball, but it is too strong.

60 mins - Half-an-hour to go and the Hammers just need something to go their way. I am convinced that if they can get it back to 3-2 in the next ten minutes they will not lose this game. Birmingham cannot get out of their own half.

59 mins - Another corner, this time conceded by Murphy. O'Neil takes and Nolan is penalised for a trip on Myhill.

58 mins - O'Neil's diagonal ball is headed up by Cole and Nolan collects. He takes a couple of touches before shooting low with his left foot, but it flashes across the face of goal and wide. This is getting a bit frustrating, to be honest...

57 mins - The home side have another corner, which is cleared. Meanwhile, George McCartney has gone to hospital for treatment for his head injury. I am told he has suffered mild concussion.

56 mins - West Ham have completely dominated since the break.

54 mins - I think that one is a penalty, to be honest. Davies makes a hash of his header and the ball loops high back towards Myhill. While the goalkeeper claims, Davies looks at Vaz Te before nudging him over. Again, nothing is given by Mr Moss. Loud cheers of derision from the home fans.

53 mins - O'Neil is fouled inside the Birmingham half. The free-kick is allowed to bounce inside the box and it just eludes both Cole and Nolan before being collected by Myhill. Any touch...

51 mins - West Ham have another corner as Lansbury's header is deflected wide. O'Neil to take. It is headed clear but Lansbury collects before the cross comes over to the far post for Tomkins. He volleys across goal, but had already been flagged offside.

50 mins - West Ham have a corner but it is headed clear and for a moment Birmingham break with numbers. Thankfully, Collins is there with a good block tackle.

48 mins - Nolan does well initially and the header from Davies is volleyed goalwards by O'Neil, but blocked. West Ham come again but Noble's cross is blocked and then Burke is fouled by Lansbury.

47 mins - Replays suggest that could well have been a penalty. Anyway, West Ham come again and this time Vaz Te gets a shot away from the corner of the box, but it's high and wide.

46 mins - West Ham kick-off with a proverbial mountain to climb. O'Neil crosses after collecting a knockdown from Lansbury. The midfielder then makes his way into the box and tries to get on the end of it before going to ground under a challenge from Ramage. Amid the penalty appeals, Nolan crosses and Birmingham scramble the ball away.

West Ham are going to make a change at the break and it is Nicky Maynard who is replaced, with Henri Lansbury replacing him.

Half-time score - West Ham United 1-3 Birmingham City

49 mins - That's half-time.

48 mins - GOAL! Unbelievable. The corner comes over and Nolan heads out. Burke volleys it into the ground and ball bounces over Cole, who had come off the post, and into the net. Green had no chance.

47 mins - GOAL! Game on. Noble's corner is headed back into the danger area powerfully by Tomkins and Vaz Te cranes his neck and heads past Myhill from six yards. Great header and a sixth goal in eleven games for the No12.

47 mins - A long ball forward is flicked on by Vaz Te and volleyed out by Ramage for a corner. The corner comes over and Birmingham scramble the ball behind for another corner.

46 mins - Into the first of four added minutes and Mutch has the physio on. There have been a few players in the wars so far this afternoon/evening.

45 mins - When it's not your day... Maynard collects a pass from Nolan and curls a shot that Myhill can only watch curl over his head and bounce back off the face of the crossbar. It drops to O'Neil, who squares for Nolan, but the skipper cannot get enough power on his shot to trouble the goalkeeper.

44 mins - Cole is fouled as the ball rolls away and Maynard nearly benefits, but he stumbles on the edge of the box and the chance is lost. Maynard slaps his hips in frustration.

43 mins - I'm afraid this has not been a very good performance so far from the Hammers. Birmingham are going to sit on their lead and West Ham are going to need to up the tempo and start completing their passes in the Blues half if they are to have a chance of getting back into this.

40 mins - Myhill has not had a save to make as yet, which is perhaps the most worrying thing. West Ham simply cannot afford to lose this game if they are to catch the top two. At present, avoiding defeat looks a bit unlikely.

38 mins - O'Neil takes it and the ball hits the advertising board at the front of the top tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.

37 mins - West Ham have lost their poise and shape momentarily. However, Faye wins a big challenge to block King's shot and West Ham break through Nolan. Maynard runs at the back four and is felled by 'Daw. The Blues No8 is booked.

35 mins - Collins' first contribution is to foul King. Free-kick to Birmingham 35 yards from goal. Mutch delivers and Green looks worried for a while before the ball loops and curls a few yards wide.

34 mins - Ramage is on his feet, but McCartney needs a stretcher. West Ham's day goes from bad to worse. Danny Collins replaces him.

32 mins - Green's long clearance sees McCartney and Ramage challenge and they clash heads. Both physios are on quickly to tend to the injured players.

30 mins - GOAL! Oh dear, oh dear. Another pass into midfield and Cole is robbed. Elliott slides King through and he is in the clear. Green comes out and tries to narrow the angle but King is too good a finisher to waste a chance like that. Automatic promotion looks a forlorn hope as things stand.

27 mins - GOAL! Another opposition goal completely by West Ham's own making. McCartney's ball inside for Noble is not well-placed and Mutch nicks it. He runs at the back four and shoots left-footed into the bottom corner from 22 yards. Green can only watch it.

26 mins - Noble wins a crunching tackle on Burke on halfway and West Ham attack in numbers. Nolan crosses after a one-two with McCartney, but Caldwell heads away from in front of Cole. The Birmingham centre-backs have looked strong so far.

24 mins - Another shooting chance and again it is Mutch, but this time Reid is there to slide and block the well-struck effort before it can get into the penalty area and trouble Green.

23 mins - Interesting stuff. Cole tries to control a throw-in, does so on his chest and then falls over. Appeals for a penalty but nothing given. Cole then battles for the ball while on the turf and wins it, only to drag it just out of play. Goal kick.

22 mins - Reid's left-foot clearance is not the best and the ball dribbles to Burke. He lays inside for Mutch, who has time and space to shoot from 25 yards, but it's harmless and Green watches the ball carefully as it rolls wide of the post.

21 mins - It's not a cagey game by any means, but neither side is taking many risks. That suits Birmingham better than West Ham, of course.

18 mins - The Blues have got back into this a bit, but West Ham are still enjoying more possession. King tries to spring the offside trap after Cole had been robbed by Davies, but this time the flag goes up. If it hadn't, King would have had only Green for company inside the Hammers half.

15 mins - Replays show that might well have been offside. Anyway, Mutch delivers from the right and Davies rises unmarked and powers a header that bounces down and wide. Somebody had lost the centre-back there.

14 mins - After 14 minutes of doing nothing, Birmingham come close to opening the scoring through Burke. McCartney steps up to play offside but the flag stays down. The winger shoots and Green scrambles the ball around the post.

12 mins - Cole does well to turn his marker Caldwell and seek out Vaz Te with a diagonal ball. He holds off Murphy then wins a corner off the full-back. The initial delivery flies wide off the head of Tomkins. Nolan recovers the possession on the near side and crosses, but Vaz Te's header flies well wide.

10 mins - Noble curls the corner in but it is headed clear at the near post. McCartney collects deep and launches a diagonal ball in that Myhill rises high to claim. In any case, Tomkins had been flagged offside.

9 mins - Nolan hassles and McCartney nips in and O'Neil has room to attack through the middle. He slides a pass wide right for Vaz Te but his low cross is cut out. Moments later, Green starts another attack and it ends with Vaz Te's long-range shot being deflected high over the top for the game's first corner.

7 mins - West Ham are on top here. They look sharper than the visitors, who have of course had a day's less rest than the Hammers. A couple of attacks threaten to open the Blues up at the back, but Chris Hughton's side stand firm.

4 mins - A neat turn from Vaz Te and his run turns into a pass to O'Neil, who is fouled. Noble swings the free-kick over and Tomkins heads back into the box. The ball breaks to Nolan, who tries to beat 'Daw but is tackled by the Senegal man.

3 mins - West Ham have started well here. They are employing a 4-3-3 formation, with Maynard wide left and Vaz Te wide right of centre-forward Cole. The Hammers are pressing high again, just as they did to such good effect at Barnsley on Friday.

2 mins - A loose pass out is straight to O'Neil and he shoots from 30 yards. It is charged down and the ball flies out for a throw.

1 min - We are underway here at the Boleyn... West Ham win the ball back quickly and Cole collects and turns away from Murphy. He tries to pick out Maynard, but the pass is off-target and through to Myhill.

5.20pm - Birmingham will kick-off, shooting towards the Bobby M oore Stand.

5.18pm - Jonathan Spector is here to watch his current and former sides do battle. A gentleman is Specs and I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I wish him the best. Back to matters on the pitch and the mascots are having their photographs taken with the captains and match officials.

5.16pm - The PA system belts out 'Bubbles' and the two teams emerge from the tunnel, led by captains Kevin Nolan and Steven Caldwell. It's a grey, chilly evening in east London. Hardly what you'd expect after the last few weeks of 20C-plus temperatures.

5.14pm - Last Wednesday morning, I asked West Ham's resident scratch golfer Gary O'Neil who his big tip for the Masters was. He replied 'Bubba Watson'.

5.07pm - Ricardo Vaz Te is named as the SBOBET Player of the Month for March. The January arrival from Barnsley has netted three goals in five appearances during the month. Vaz Te is presented with his award by Richard Williams from Chingford-based RKJ Developments.

5.05pm - Don't forget, there is an Open Training Day for Academy members, Season Ticket holders and corporate members at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday from 10am. Admission is FREE. Access to the stadium is through Gate 3, with free parking on a first-come, first-served basis.

4.45pm - It might sound like little consolation, but if the npower Championship scores stay as they are and West Ham win tonight, they will have all but secured a Play-Off place. Seventh-placed Brighton would be 15 points behind the Hammers with five games remaining and goal difference at least 19 inferior to West Ham's.

4.40pm - It looks like bad news elsewhere in London as Rickie Lambert's 29th and 30th goals of the season have Southampton 2-0 up at Crystal Palace. The Saints will extend their lead over West Ham to seven points with a win. If this game wasn't 'must-win' before Southampton kicked-off, it certainly is now.

4.30pm - Cristian Montano has scored in successive matches for Oxford United, putting the U's 2-1 up on Torquay United. It is nine in 35 loan appearances for Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oxford now this season for the 20-year-old.

4.20pm - The team news is in. West Ham have made two changes from the Good Friday win at Barnsley. Abdoulaye Faye and Carlton Cole come in for Guy Demel and Matt Taylor. Demel and Taylor drop to the bench. For Birmingham, it is also two changes as Guirane 'Daw and Wade Elliott come in for Andros Townsend and Nikola Zigic.

West Ham United: Green, Tomkins, Reid, Faye, McCartney, O'Neil, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Maynard, Cole
Subs: Demel, Collins, Lansbury, Taylor, Baldock

Birmingham City: Myhill, Ramage, Caldwell, Davies, Murphy, Burke, 'Daw, Fahey, Elliott, Mutch, King
Subs: Doyle, Redmond, Townsend, Huseklepp, Zigic

4.10pm - OK, not long until the teams are announced. Will Big Sam stick with the same starting XI that won at Barnsley on Good Friday? Will Carlton Cole be recalled? Will Papa Bouba Diop return to the team? We will know soon!

2.45pm - Some West Ham interest in the 3pm kick-offs in the shape of the club's loanees. Fresh from scoring his first goal for the club on Saturday, Freddie Sears starts for Colchester United at Bury in League One. In League Two, Cristian Montano starts for Oxford United at home to Torquay United, George Moncur starts for AFC Wimbledon at Southend United, while Olly Lee is on the bench for Gillingham at home to Dagenham and Redbridge.

Good afternoon and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for today's Easter Monday npower Championship fixture between third-place West Ham United and fourth-place Birmingham City.

It is Kids for a Quid this afternoon and there is still time for supporters to get down to the Boleyn Ground to cheer the lads on. Cash turnstiles will be open right up to kick-off.

Today's game will see both teams promote the Know The Score - a new campaign set up to raise awareness of bowel cancer. Several leading cancer charities, including the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, and former Hammers Martin Peters and Les Ferdinand are among those backing the charity.

West Ham would also like to welcome today's Match Sponsors Jelly Communications to the Boleyn Ground. In just five years, Jelly has carved a distinctive niche in the supply of mobile phone services to businesses and developed into a £1.4 million turnover company with over 800 customers.

Jelly provides an individual, person-to-person service to each enquirer and customer. In this way, Jelly can identify the most appropriate network and tariff package that best fits the specific calling pattern and usage. For more information, click here.

With Southampton at Crystal Palace earlier in the day, the Hammers will know if they can close the gap on the leaders by the time they kick-off at teatime. West Ham contended with the pressure of a late kick-off on Good Friday, winning 4-0 at Barnsley to chalk up a club record-setting 12th away league victory of the season.

Back here at the Boleyn Ground, successes have been more difficult to come by, with Sam Allardyce's side failing to win any of their previous six home fixtures - five of which have ended in draws.

The reverse fixture at St Andrews on Boxing Day also ended level at 1-1, with Blues full-back David Murphy cancelling out Carlton Cole's early goal with a header seven minutes from full-time.

Team news-wise, Big Sam has a near-full squad to choose from, with only Joey O'Brien, Jack Collison and Julien Faubert unavailable for selection through injury this afternoon.

For a full match preview, click here.

The starting XIs and substitutes will be announced at around 4.20pm and published first on the club's official twitter feed.