Bitter Curbs says West Ham were robbed as ref ignores spot-kick claims after City keeper clatters midfielder

It was no use asking the victim himself though because he was suffering from concussion as a result and hardly knew what day it was, let alone whether referee Mark Clattenburg should have pointed to the spot.

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On such decisions are FA Cup ties often won and lost, particularly ones as close as this third-round replay at Eastlands.

Elano's stooped, headed goal from close range in the 72nd minute ended up as the winner and now these two evenlymatched sides must do battle all over again at the same venue on Sunday, this time in a Premier League encounter.

"I thought we had a good shout for a penalty when Lee got in on goal," said Curbishley. "Hart didn't get there and his momentum took Lee out but the referee had his eye on the ball because Lee had already lifted it over the keeper."

Bowyer was still groggy afterwards but his midfield team-mate Mark Noble said: "Lee's suffering from concussion after that tangle with Joe Hart. Afterwards he couldn't remember what went on in a lot of the game. Hart came up to him at the end and said 'sorry' but Lee didn't understand why he was apologising because he couldn't recall anything about what happened.

"Obviously he took quite a blow to the head and from where I was, the 'keeper got nowhere near the ball because Lee had lobbed it back in."

In truth, the defeat was a little tough on West Ham, who more than matched City in what was an attritional Cup tie with Hart by far the busier goalkeeper.

Noble was honest enough afterwards though to admit that his side had failed to take the chances which fell their way and until that changes West Ham could continue losing matches they should win.

The best opportunity of the night, for example, fell to Dean Ashton. Watched by Fabio Capello's right-hand man Franco Baldini and Stuart Pearce, West Ham's peroxide poacher volleyed a 30th minute effort straight at Hart following a fluid passing movement involving Bowyer and Luis Boa Morte.

Ashton, although still a threat with his close control and quick brain, still looks some way short of full fitness and some way over his optimum fighting weight.

The England coaching entourage would have been much more impressed, on the night, with two central defenders, one from either side.

Micah Richards was once again a colossus at the heart of City's defence while his West Ham counterpart, Matthew Upson, performed to a similar standard.

It was tough on Upson and the rest of the West Ham defence, to see so much good possession wasted in front of them and Curbishley knows that, until he can improve the creative part of his team's game, then they could be treading water.

Curbishley will be banking that Craig Bellamy, now just two weeks off a return, suffers no further setbacks because The Hammers seriously miss his pace. There were some positives for West Ham though, particularly the appearance, after 61 minutes, of Julien Faubert.

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The French midfield star looked still way short of full fitness after being out since the start of the season but there were one or two explosive sprints which bode well for the future.

"We had a couple of other shouts for handball," said Noble, "and it was really disappointing overall because we had some really good chances and I thought we dominated the game for large spells.

"Obviously City were a threat on the break but I thought we knocked it about well and kept the ball. The bottom line though is that you have to take your chances and we didn't do that.

"It's really disappointing but we just want to get back to their place on Sunday and take the points in the League.

"We're just hoping that Craig Bellamy can come back soon. He's doing his best to get over his injury problems and we could really do with him at the moment."

City's goal came via their best player, the lightning-quick Martin Petrov. The Bulgarian's first cross from the left was blocked by Lucas Neill and when the ball rebounded to the City man, West Ham's captain slipped at the crucial moment.

Petrov saw his chance, chipped the ball to the far post where substitute Rolando Bianchi headed the ball against an upright and Elano followed up to head in the rebound.

"I thought Lucas had dealt with the danger of Petrov really well," said Noble, "but then he slipped and Petrov was able to get his cross in. Even then the ball could have gone anywhere when it dropped down from the post but it went straight to Elano."

If there is any consolation for West Ham, at least they will be spared an emotive build-up to a fourth round clash with Sheffield United, and the old wounds of the Tevez affair will be left well alone.