As important as Kevin Davies' goal to beat West Ham may have been, his second-half booking could turn out to be even more significant to Bolton's Barclays Premier League survival hopes.

The former Blackburn striker put in a man-of-the-match performance leading the line and dominating the aerial battle against the Hammers.

His goal, only his fourth of the season but the 100th of his career, gave Wanderers their first league victory in nine matches and closed the gap on 17th-placed Birmingham to two points.

However, the caution he received for a 70th-minute foul on John Pantsil was his 10th of the campaign and, with the Football Association amnesty on yellow cards not kicking in until today, earned him an immediate two-match suspension.

Davies will miss fixtures at Middlesbrough and Tottenham and, with captain Kevin Nolan only returning on Saturday from his own two-game ban, it means by the end of April Bolton will have been without at least one of their most influential players for the best part of a month.

Manager Gary Megson knows how important Davies is to his side and how difficult it will be to replace him.

"All the time he puts in a hard-working performance and battles away and works his socks off," said the Trotters boss.

"His performance had all those qualities but he also led the line well on his own, brought the midfield players into it and gave us time to go join him.

"I'm really pleased both with Kevin, and for Kevin, for getting the goal.

"It is a bit hard to take (Davies' suspension). Whoever does come in - and we have to change it some way - has seen that is the required standard."

Davies will travel with the team to Teesside and London to maintain squad unity.

"Davo will come with us - but he will want to. Kevin Nolan is the same, he travels," added Megson.

"They are influential people, well thought of, and they have a role to play regardless of whether they are on the field."

Davies' physical presence and all-round irritation factor will be sorely missed as Bolton's run-in gets shorter.

West Ham certainly had no way of dealing with him and even a dislocated finger sustained in a second half challenge with goalkeeper Robert Green could not stop the 31-year-old, who returned to the pitch a couple of minutes after having had the digit realigned.

Davies could have had two goals in the first half thanks to his aerial supremacy.

First Jonathan Spector headed out from under his own crossbar from the Bolton striker's sixth-minute knockdown before Scott Parker did the same 24 minutes later.

El Hadji Diouf had a goal disallowed just before half-time. He side-footed home at the far post from a flick-on, inevitably, by Davies but had initially been offside from Ivan Campo's free-kick.

The breakthrough finally came a minute after the interval when Spector bungled an inswinging Matthew Taylor corner and Davies blasted home from close range.

Nolan also had an effort ruled out for offside after Green could only parry Diouf's 65th-minute shot.

West Ham's best chance came five minutes before that when goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi flapped at Bobby Zamora's cross and Luis Boa Morte saw his strike cleared off the line by Gary Cahill.

The victory certainly silenced the critical home fans, a number of whom gathered outside Reebok prior to kick-off to express their displeasure at the manager.

Megson was unaware of the demonstration but was already well prepared for any abuse.

"The support was fantastic and I've never had a problem with it," he said.

"I went out there (on the pitch) before the players went out so if there was going to be any recriminations or upset then we could get it out of the way before the players came.

"It never happened. There were a few banners up in the corner which soon disappeared."

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley was impressed with Bolton's fighting spirit, which he felt gave them a chance of avoiding relegation.

"The first half was vintage Bolton. We couldn't cope with it," he said.

"They deserved their result and they are still there with a chance of getting themselves out of it."

A long injury list - exacerbated by Anton Ferdinand's second-minute hamstring pull - persuaded Curbishley to give 19-year-old Jack Collison his first Premier League start.

The midfielder was somewhat overwhelmed and lasted 50 minutes before being substituted.

Curbishley added: "I feel sorry for Jack. I felt if we matched up in the middle of the park we could give Jack a chance to express himself but as soon as the goal went in I felt I had to change it.

"It is disappointing for him but he'll get over it."

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