STUART Pearceés biggest investment as a manager paid off at exactly the right time as Georgios Samarasé brace eased the pressure on the beleaguered Blues boss.

Despite his midweek goal at Chesterfield, there are plenty of City supporters who are still mystified at the é6million Pearce paid to snap him up from Heerenveen in January.

Capable of maddening inconsistency, the 21-year-old has flattered to deceive, yet Pearce has always insisted, given time, the Greek international will come good.

And, just when Pearce needed him to, Samaras delivered the goods, lashing home a superb second-half volley before chipping Roy Carroll to give City only their third win in 17 games and take them into the relative comfort of mid-table.

The result will do nothing for morale at the Hammers, who are still coming to terms with the stunning arrivals of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez.

Despite their lofty reputations, neither Argentinian has made a discernible impact at Upton Park so far, with Tevez starting this afternoonés contest on the bench.

Indeed, Mascherano was partly culpable for Cityés opener, opting to let the ball drop when Christian Dailly blocked Ishmael Millerés initial effort, a decision that allowed Samaras to nip in front of him and send a tremendous volley flying into the top corner.

Relegation

Presumably, a battle against relegation was not exactly what Tevez and Mascherano had in mind when they were handed a chance to try their luck in the Premiership.

With potential new owners lurking in the wings, a fight to avoid the drop is the last thing the Hammers need, although, even given this result, City still seem far more likely to become embroiled in trouble at the bottom than their visitors.

Having seen his team capitulate so badly at Chesterfield, Pearce opted to take the flak himself rather than letting any criticism seep through to his players.

Certainly, no-one could accuse the former England skipper of lacking bravery.

With results going against him and his squad decimated by injuries and suspensions, the former England skipper opted to place his trust in youth, handing 19-year-old Miller his Premiership debut.

And what an impact the youngster made too. His energy and enthusiasm set the tone for an industrious team performance and the run which took him into the West Ham area in the build-up to Samarasé opener was truly awesome, far too much for Hayden Mullins, who gave up the chase long before Miller struck the fateful shot that bounced up off Daillyés outstretched leg.

Teenager

In Micah Richards, Pearce had another teenager willing to run himself into the ground for the Blues cause too, although the full-back did waste an excellent headed opportunity just before the break and inexplicably opted to try to square to Bernardo Corradi after showing an electric burst of pace to charge into the area.

Yet, even he took his tally to three goals in two games, it was Samaras who was the most eye-catching City player on view.

Only fleetingly has the striker looked like justifying the cash Pearce spent on him, a mammoth sum by present-day Blues standards.

He could hardly be criticised for the precise shot he sent bouncing inches wide midway through the opening period, having cut in off the left flank, raced into the area then attempted to beat Carroll at the far post.

Samaras had Carroll in trouble again later, with a cross-shot the Hammers keeper seemed willing to let go, only to realise, just in time, it would probably creep into the far corner.

But the strikerés willingness to try his luck paid off spectacularly.

There was a definite touch of class about his volley, but so too the coolness that accompanied his second finish, after he beat Carroll to Corradiés through-ball.

City were denied a third when Carroll got across to push Bartonés free-kick away from the bottom corner.

In response, West Ham mustered nothing and, as they made their way home, still without a win since the opening day, the visiting fans must be wondering whether the influx of South Americans is a good thing after all.

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