Pearce hails goal king Cole

Man City 2 West Ham 1

Cole emerged a decisive victor in his personal duel with fellow Manchester United old boy Teddy Sheringham, curling home a superb opener then adding a close-range second as City scored a well-deserved win over West Ham.

Cole, who was 34 on Saturday, has already expressed a desire to extend a contract which expires at the end of the season and his first, a pin-point curling effort into the top corner after Darius Vassell had released him with an astute back-heel was a mark of pure class.

“The first one was a great finish,” said Pearce. “It was very clever, the sign of a true goalscorer. Some players would have blasted it. He picked his spot and put it into the top corner. That is why he has got so many goals in the Premiership. Andy has something to prove at this club. He wants to stay here beyond the end of the season and, if he keeps doing that, he is going to force my hand.”

Man-of-the-match Cole could not quite meet a pre-match demand from his son, Devante - who is part of the City academy - to complete his first hat-trick since 2000 but said he was satisfied anyway.

“My little boy said to me it would be nice if I got a hat-trick to celebrate my birthday, so I dedicate my two goals to him,” Cole said.

The double took Cole’s overall tally for the season to four and left City in good heart ahead of next week’s trip to Arsenal.

It was not all good news for the home side though as Pearce revealed influential central defender Richard Dunne could be out “for a number of weeks” with the knee injury he picked up on international duty with Ireland.

“He actually suffered the injury in training before the Ireland game and the fact he was able to play 90 minutes on Wednesday gives us a bit of encouragement,” said Pearce. “But the medical people have advised us to rest Richard for seven to 10 days and then build him up slowly. At this stage it is looking like being several weeks, but we have the likes of Nedum Onuoha and David Sommeil to come in.

“The one thing I will not do is rush Richard back. I want him back right and I won’t put any pressure on the medical staff.”

The defeat was West Ham’s first on their travels since they returned to the Premiership.

Other than Roy Carroll defying a hand injury to make a string of fine saves and Bobby Zamora’s late consolation, there were few positive aspects to the Hammers’ lacklustre display.

Opta Fact: Manchester City’s two league defeats this season came in the two games Andrew Cole did not play in.

Opta Fact: Cole’s first goal was the first this season scored before half-time at the City of Manchester Stadium.

MAN CITY: James, Mills, Onuoha, Distin, Jordan, Reyna, Barton, Ireland (Croft 81), Musampa (Jihai 87), Cole, Vassell.

WEST HAM: Carroll, Repka (Dailly 45), Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky, Benayoun, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington (Newton 82), Sheringham (Zamora 67), Harewood.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).