Bowyer doubles up and now he's such a happy Hammer

The midfielder restored Alan Curbishley's faith with two strikes that profited from Derby's rumbling confidence. Both were vintage Bowyer in a performance of all-too-rare command.

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Of course, it was at Charlton, under the direction of the same manager, where Bowyer sprang to prominence, scoring a goal every five games — a ratio he maintained until he left Leeds nearly five years ago and his strike-rate dived.

But with four goals this season, the belief has been rekindled that he can chip in from midfield, although post-match talk of an England recall is fanciful, as the player himself admitted.

"Since Lee's been at West Ham, it's not quite clicked for him," said Curbishley. "He's been in decent positions, but not been able to get that goal. I remember one pre-season game at Norwich he got in three or four times but did not get the goal. You start to wonder whether it's ever going to go for him. Lee made his name getting into the box and finishing. I know, I had him at Charlton.

"He didn't finish the season with us. He wasn't in the team that kept us up. I told him I thought he was trying too hard. I know that sounds crazy. He had a couple of chances at Liverpool last year and one hit the crossbar, but I genuinely felt he was trying too hard, so I sat him down and told him."

Bowyer thrives on arriving at the right time in the area after someone else has done the work. On Saturday, Carlton Cole twice turned provider.

"I'm happy I got a couple of chances and I managed to score," he said. "I could count the chances I had last year on one hand. I'm having one or two every game now. Carlton Cole has set up three of my goals. It's like big Carl Leaburn at Charlton. It takes time for players to get to know my runs.

"I just want to play for West Ham. It's the club I love and hopefully this will carry on. I don't think I will ever get close to England again. I scored 17 goals one season and I didn't get a call. I've just accepted it. I want to do well for West Ham now. I came back to prove to everyone what they saw last time was not the real me."

Centre back Matthew Upson believes the 30-year-old Bowyer, who won his only England cap against Portugal in 2003, has finally grown up.

He said: "Lee has matured a lot, which I'm sure he recognised he had to do. His confidence is such now that he's our leading scorer. And if you look at the statistics, the ground he covers every match is right up there.

"Some people have made their minds up about him — but, from his performances, it's clear he's good enough to do it at any level."

The key to West Ham's victory was scoring first. Bowyer delivered and, after Derby's Kenny Miller had missed with a straightforward header five minutes after half-time, Matthew Etherington added the second. Any home fight ebbed away at that point, with an Eddie Lewis own goal, Bowyer's second from Cole's low cross and a curling Nolberto Solano free-kick rounding off the victory.

West Ham's injury situation is dire and Bowyer will have a hernia operation this week. "We've only got our reserves", crowed the visiting fans and Curbishley was hardly going to disagree.

"I've never known anything like this," he said. "We had training on Friday and I cut the five-a-side short because the way it's been going, I feared a collision."

It gets no any easier for Derby boss Billy Davies. Next up at Pride Park is Avram Grant and, at 5-0 down, there was a laudable attempt at gallows humour. "Bring on the Chelsea", sang the home support. But the loss of three goals in nine second-half minutes was no laughing matter for Davies.

"The reaction to the goals disappointed me greatly,' he said. "That sort of thing shouldn't happen. It doesn't matter that I'm without three of my centre backs and I'm playing a 35-year-old there for the first time.

"There's no hiding place for any of us. We'll find out who can and who can't play at this level. I said the players who got us here deserve an opportunity to play in the Premier League. But I will not mess around. I am very clear of my intentions in the January transfer window."

Derby (4-5-1): Bywater 6; Mears 5, Moore 5, Edworthy 4, Griffin 4; Teale 4 (Howard 52min, 5), Pearson 5, Oakley 5, Barnes 5, Lewis 4 (Earnshaw 59, 5); Miller 5 (Fagan 75, 5). Booked: Oakley, Fagan.

West Ham (4-4-2): Green 6; Neill 6, Gabbidon 6, Upson 7, McCarthy 5 (Pantsil 14, 6); Solano 8, Bowyer 7 (Collins 72, 6), Spector 6, Ellington 6; Boa Morte 6, Cole 7. Booked: Pantsil, Bowyer.

Man of the match: Nolberto Solano.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg.