Alan Curbishley is entitled to feel self-satisfaction, even immense pride, but the West Ham United manager is unlikely to believe that everything in his garden is about to burst into claret and blue roses, that he will be given a pot of money to spend on transfers today, or that the board is going to give him the offer of a job for life at the club.

For a manager who woke up yesterday with his team behind only three of the supposed top four clubs, on the back of the club’s best start since the 1999-2000 season, he seems to be only one shabby, substandard performance away from lurching into disaster. On Saturday the margins were tighter still, but the scales were tipped in his favour by a goal unfairly chalked off for offside, a saved penalty and two late goals that provided a scoreline that was harsh on Blackburn Rovers.

After the indignity and criticism of coming from behind to defeat Macclesfield Town in extra time in the Carling Cup second round last week, West Ham dug out a victory with a performance that reeked of commitment, determination and, by the end, attacking verve. West Ham rarely stray from the mechanical these days. Carlton Cole works tirelessly, although he is limited, and they lack midfield vision, but, with the return of Craig Bellamy from injury to help to retain the ball, it may be approaching the period where Curbishley will be judged on his promise of attractive football when he has a near full-strength squad.

Clearly, not everyone shares his conviction that results are all that matter. Brought up on players such as Trevor Brooking, the fans are entitled to watch panache and, while the credit crunch is a significant factor, it is unheard of for the club’s season tickets to bypass the waiting list. The Icelandic owners may also want a more uplifting manager to ensure that they can fill a mooted new 50,000-seat stadium in the future because Curbishley can sometimes make a victory appear a defeat.

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“When I was at Charlton Athletic, I watched what was going on with other [West Ham] managers being criticised and I wondered what it was like – now I am finding out,” he said. “The board have put me under no pressure.”

There have been any number of adjectives used to describe Paul Ince, the Blackburn manager, since he was pictured wearing a Manchester United shirt before completing a move from Upton Park in 1989, but “Judas” and “You’re just a fat Eddie Murphy” were about as unkind as it got for him. Ince said that the reception was “tepid”. West Ham fans must be going soft.

Looking their most dangerous from set plays, the home team took the a two-goal lead when Calum Davenport headed in from a corner and Mark Noble’s scuffed strike flicked off Christopher Samba. Davenport’s ungainliness allowed Jason Roberts to reduce the deficit, but the Blackburn striker’s soft penalty was saved by Robert Green. “The momentum was going our way and if I had scored [the penalty] maybe things would have been different,” Roberts said.

The introduction of Bellamy, chomping at the bit, prompted a more lively finale as he sped clear to volley home, argued himself into the referee’s book and was involved in the move that led to Cole tapping in.

West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 7 – V Behrami 5, C Davenport 6, M Upson 5, L Neill 5 – J Faubert 5 (sub: G McCartney, 60min 6), M Noble 6 (sub: H Mullins, 81), S Parker 5, M Etherington 6 – C Cole 6, D Ashton 5 (sub: C Bellamy, 69 6). Substitutes not used: J Lastuvka, L Boa Morte, K Reid, F Sears. Booked: Bellamy. Next: West Bromwich Albion (a).

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): P Robinson 5 – A Ooijer 5, C Samba 5, R Nelsen 5, S Warnock 6 – B Emerton 5, S Reid 6, V Grella 5 (sub: K Andrews, 46 66), M G Pedersen 5 (sub: K Treacy, 66 5) – J Roberts 7, R Santa Cruz 5 (sub: M Derbyshire, 29 6). Substitutes not used: J Brown, A Mokoena, C Villanueva, D Simpson. Booked: Grella, Roberts, Ooijer, Emerton, Nelsen. Next: Arsenal (h).

Referee : M Riley Attendance: 32,905