Lomas in a City lament

West Ham United 4 Dowie 21, 54, Dicks 83, Dani 84 Manchester Cit y 2 Quinn 75, 90 Attendance: 24,017

EUROPE may not want our beef, but its players continue to show an appetite for the English game. No fewer than 10 continentals contributed to this ultimately pulsating match - which boasted five goals and a sending- off in the second half, after we had seen one score and a missed penalty in the first.

That Manchester City came off worst in all this excitement could be attributed to Keith Curle's 43rd-minute penalty which was saved by Ludek Miklosko, and to the dismissal of Steve Lomas for his second bookable offence. But in reality City were second best for most of the game, only making a fight of it after Iain Dowie's second goal appeared to have sunk them.

City's dissenting fans, never far from their chairman's ears, might well continue their protest about the midweek sale of Garry Flitcroft, which may look an unfortunate move in the context of a relegation struggle. City manager Alan Ball will instead pin his hopes on yet another foreign import, Mikhail Kavelashvili, whose goal-scoring record can hardly fail in beefing up City's toothless attack.

It needed two goals from the substitute Niall Quinn to buy City any respectability yesterday, but the really punishing statistic tells of only one City away win all season. Flitcroft's absence yesterday seemed to inhibit the performance of Georgi Kinkladze, who tended to opt for midfield prompting when his runs from deep were desperately needed. Once he began them, City looked to have a chance, but after West Ham scored it was always a chase.

City had a fair share of possession, but could rarely translate it into penetration. In contrast, West Ham scored almost as soon as they began to assert themselves. Julian Dicks' powerful header from Ilie Dumitrescu's corner was cleared off the line, but when the ball was played back in Dowie placed his header past Eike Immel's left hand.

City looked stalled and might have gone further behind as West Ham pressed forward fluently, but the instant Kinkladze made his first forward run they had a chance to level. The little Georgian accelerated between Slaven Bilic and Keith Rowland, then fell as Rowland stretched to reach him. City captain Curle stepped up for the kick but he telegraphed his intentions and Miklosko plunged to his left to make a defiant save.

This moment looked even worse for City after Dowie headed his second early in the second half. Quinn was brought on immediately for the ineffectual Uwe Rosler, and City organised a fightback, West Ham eventually needing a double goal-line clearance to deny a header from Nigel Clough, and then Quinn's follow-up.

But moments after Lomas had walked for bringing down Dicks, Quinn pounced on Miklosko's fumble to poke home. The old West Ham might have wobbled, but not this one. Refreshed by the substitute Dani's skills, they poured forward and Dicks produced a cracker to beat Immel from 25 yards. A minute later, Dani waltzed past Kit Symons to tuck home the fourth goal.

Quinn's spectacular left-footer, right on the whistle, was a false consolation for City. The only team in the bottom six not to pick up a point yesterday, they need an urgent input of goals, or they are Dead Men Walking.