Sub Cole was delighted to hit the winner in the first leg at Upton Park - even if his goal owed much to an unfortunate error by Blues goalkeeper Ben Foster. After Mark Noble's opener for the Hammers had been cancelled out by Liam Ridgewell, the game appeared set to end in stalemate before Cole popped up with the winner 12 minutes from time, his scuffed shot somehow finding its way through the off-balance Foster. The goal was hard on Foster, who made a couple of decent saves in the first half, but Cole was happy to take the win however it arrived - and is confident Avram Grant's men can defend their 2-1 lead in the return leg at St Andrew's in a fortnight. "I didn't strike the ball properly and I think Ben helped me. The goal wasn't the goal I imagined it to be, but they all count," Cole told BBC2. "I'm chuffed, the team's chuffed, and we've done the job. I've not scored a winner in ages and today's a great day to do it." The win comes just days after Grant's troops progressed to the FA Cup fourth round after defeating Barnsley, and Cole added: "After the FA Cup win, coming into this one we were confident. "It was important to go over there [for the return leg] with the win and to defend it." Under-pressure manager Grant came into Tuesday's game amid increased speculation over his future, with some reports suggesting even a win at Upton Park would not be enough to spare him the axe. Despite the distractions, Grant was a content figure at the final whistle, and hailed the performance of his players. "I feel good. The spirit was great. The spirit was at a high level, They didn't give up and we won the game," he told BBC2. Reflecting on Cole's fortunate winner, he added: "The goal is a goal, it doesn't matter how. "There was a great pass from Scott Parker and a great ball from Jonathan Spector and a good finish - from our side." Grant did admit, however, that he is frustrated by the continued speculation over his future despite the Hammers sitting within a win of the likes of Wolves and Fulham in the Premier League - teams with managers not under such scrutiny. "It doesn't help," Grant added. "We are one point from clubs like Fulham and Wolves, where it is quiet and settled. "I don't want to think about any other things apart from the fight and the challenge." Asked if he expected to remain in the job, he replied: "You need to ask the person that [started] the rumours."
