But after a difficult opening period the West Ham man turned the tables as he put Wales ahead.

BBC: Cyprus 3-1 Wales

Liverpool almost put the game out of sight six minutes after the break when - with Matthew Upson off the field receiving treatment - Kuyt found Yossi Benayoun at the far post, but the former West Ham midfield man could not keep his volley down.

BBC: West Ham 0-3 Liverpool

West Ham made the most of their one-man advantage as they piled on the pressure, and only a superbly timed goal-line clearance by Danny Higginbotham prevented Luis Boa Morte putting the home side ahead with a mishit shot.

BBC: West Ham 2-1 Stoke

The man makes French toast and waffles and ham and eggs and pancakes and cereal and Pop-Tarts and brownies and hot dogs and hamburgers and baked Alaska and a birthday cake in the shape of a castle and pours glasses of milk and orange juice and coffee and Tang and Kool-Aid and water and puts ice in all of the glasses.

NEWYORKER: The TV

Elsewhere, West Ham drew 2-2 at home to 10-man Fulham in a London derby, rescuing a point with a late goal by youngster Junior Stanislas.

CNN: Anelka and Malouda put Chelsea on top

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton and West Ham en route to the last four, although the man who scored the winning goal in their quarter-final over the Hammers, Danny Higginbotham, will be absent on 17 April.

BBC: Stoke City visit Wembley ahead of FA Cup semi-final

After attaching such an important tag to this encounter, it appeared pivotal to the future of Grant - who had new right-hand man Wally Downes at his side - that West Ham emerged victorious.

BBC: West Ham 3-1 Wigan

The three-man attack of Piquionne, Cole and Ba worked well for West Ham as the latter saw his shot from 12 yards cleared off the line after a jinking run by the influential Noble on the left.

BBC: West Brom 3-3 West Ham

West Ham moved out of the bottom three with a 5-3 victory at home to 10-man Burnley, but had to hold on after taking a 4-0 lead after only 51 minutes through Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas, a Carlton Cole penalty and Guillermo Franco's header.

CNN: Man Utd ruin Grant's Portsmouth bow