West Ham are through to the FA Cup semi-finals thanks to a brace from £7m striker Dean Ashton.
Ashton struck in the 41st and 69th minutes to earn the Hammers a precious win in tonight's FA Cup quarter-final tie at Manchester City.West Ham - who went into the game minus Lionel Scaloni (dropped) and Anton Ferdinand (injured) but with Shaka Hislop and Matthew Etherington returning from injury - rarely threatened the City goal in a somewhat drab first half, although the home side - themselves missing key striker Georgious Samaras - created precious few goalscoring opportunities themselves.
City's best chance of the half arrived minutes before Ashton gave the Hammers the lead; Shaka Hislop fumbled a Reina cross and Musampa's overhead kick was goalbound before Paul Konchesky intervened to head off the line.
The opening goal finally arrived just four minutes ahead of the break - and it proved to be well worth waiting for. A wonderful one-touch move between Ashton, Harewood and Etherington on the edge of the City box left Ashton wide left of David James' goal. The 22-year-old striker took one touch further to his left before beating former-Hammer James to his near post with a low drive.
The goal itself was more than worthy of detailed post-match discussion, but the game's major talking-point occured just ten minutes into the second period when City midfielder Sun Jihai was sent off after clashing with West Ham's Matthew Etherington on the touchline. The two collided as the ball ran out of play and the City man took a rash swipe at Etherington - seemingly out of frustration, and certainly not with any great spite.
And although the palm of the Chinese midfielder's hand made just the slightest of contact with the side of Etherington's head referee Howard Webb deemed it an offence serious enough to warrant an instant red card - much to the dismay of the home crowd, and surprise of all players.
It was, of course, great news for the Hammers - although even the most biased onlooker couldn't have failed to feel just a little sympathy for what was an extremely harsh decision.
With the game opening up, the Hammers took advantage of the extra man midway through the second-half - and City only have themselves to blame. Christian Dailly went down under a heavy challenge deep in the City half and remained prone on the ground, but City somewhat unsportingly refused to put the ball out of play.
As they attacked, Nigel Reo-Coker won the ball deep in Hammers territory and set forward. After a long run he found Yossi Benayoun to his right and the little Israeli sent the perfect low cross in for Ashton to add his and West Ham's second.
So 2-0 up and facing only ten men the Hammers should have been home and dry - but Kiki Musampa had other ideas when he blasted home a volley from 20 yards into Shaka Hislop's bottom right-hand corner eight minutes from the end of normal time.
The goal prompted a furious onslaught from the home side as they searched for an unlikely equaliser in the dying minutes, but the Hammers remained resolute and clung on to book their first FA Cup semi-final appearance since 1991.
Meanwhile, Alan Pardew, who came in for much criticism for his team selection policy at home to Portsmouth on Saturday will no doubt be left feeling just a little vindicated after this, the latest win in what is turning into quite an extraordinary season for the Hammers.
The draw for the semi finals with be made on Friday, 24 March. The remaining quarter-final ties take place tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday.
West Ham United: Hislop, Dailly, Gabbidon, Collins, Konchesky, Benayoun, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington, Ashton, Harewood
Subs: Walker, Scaloni, Fletcher, Sheringham, Zamora.
Manchester City: James, Richards, Dunne, Distin, Jordan, Jihai, Barton, Musampa, Riera, Vassell, Wright-Phillips
Subs: Weaver, Sommeil, Ireland, Croft, Miller.
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