Substitute Zavon Hines was West Ham's matchwinner against Aston Villa and could now be set for a run in the team after England striker Carlton Cole suffered a hamstring strain.

Cole was forced off in the first half of West Ham's 2-1 home victory over Aston Villa but Hines proved more than an able deputy when he scored the winner in stoppage-time.

West Ham had gone ahead against the run of play with a 45th-minute penalty from Mark Noble.

England goalkeeper Robert Green then saved a 49th-minute spot-kick by Ashley Young only for the Villa winger to atone for his miss with an equaliser.

But Hines was a constant threat and deserved the goal which brought the Hammers their first home league success of a difficult season. The win lifted them out of the bottom three and into 16th position.

Cole's injury, which threatens his place in Fabio Capello's England squad for the friendly with Brazil in Qatar later this month, is to be assessed by the Hammers over the next few days.

But for manager Gianfranco Zola, the night was all about England Under-21 man Hines.

"Every time I play Hines he's been very good," said Zola. "He just needs to keep working the way he is doing. I am very pleased for him and for us. But he deserves to be in the spotlight.

"The team is playing better and this may well be the turning point.

"We demonstrated desire and belief and that's what we wanted. Everything else is there. It was a fantastic game to win.

"We got the reward we wanted in the end. I believed and so did the players."

Zola expressed astonishment at the award of Villa's penalty, which Steve Bennett gave after Manuel Da Costa collided with James Collins despite heading the ball clear.

"I saw only one penalty," said Zola. "The second one I could not understand. Da Costa jumped high and found James on the way down.

"It was a little bit too much. Green has made a couple of great saves tonight and I was delighted for him.

"It is a long way to go but the team is alive and wants to be out of the situation we are in. We are ready to fight and we will do that. Tonight is just one step."

Villa boss Martin O'Neill was disappointed by the manner of the defeat.

A win for Villa would have taken them into the top four.

O'Neill said: "I think we did enough to get something out of the game. We were in the ascendancy in the first half and their goalkeeper made some good saves.

"We looked a very good threat and thought we would go on to win it. You can lose a goal at any stage but it is disappointing to lose at that stage.

"We looked tired in the last 15 minutes but it is not an excuse."

Villa will lose Stiliyan Petrov for their next game after he reached five bookings for the season.

"He is suspended now," added O'Neill. "He was magnificent last season and has kept that form again. He is a really fine player."