Yesterday's 1-0 win at champions Manchester United completed an astounding run of seven wins from the last nine games by Alan Curbishley's men, which has seen them rise from a seemingly hopeless position to preserve their top-flight status.

Despite being written off at Christmas and then pilloried amid the wrangle over the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, the Hammers have somehow remained strong.

And, after surviving a first-half bombardment, Tevez's goal was enough to see them clamber away from the bottom three, leaving a disgruntled Sheffield United to accompany Charlton and Watford into the Coca-Cola Championship.

"We have defied logic," said Hammers defender Collins.

"I don't think the players ever thought we wouldn't get out of it but we knew we were in a lot of trouble.

"Plenty of people wrote us off and said we were dead and buried. Certainly, no-one would have believed we could win seven out of our last nine games.

"But, thankfully, we managed to turn it round and now we can enjoy it for the rest of the summer."

Collins cited a fortuitous win at Blackburn in March as the game which turned the Hammers' season on its head.

Tevez scored the winner that day too and the Argentina striker's influence has had a massive bearing on results over the past couple of months.

Yet, it is impossible to mention Tevez's name without dredging up the row over whether West Ham should have been docked points over his signing which, along with Mascherano, was found to be in clear breach of Premier League rules.

Manager Alan Curbishley has been reluctant to enter the debate over a transgression which occurred before he replaced Alan Pardew in December.

However, with the threat of legal action looming, he wonders whether West Ham's rivals have become sidetracked over the issue.

"We have had to concentrate on playing football but maybe other people have concentrated on the other side of it a bit too much," he said.

"The Premier League have had their inquiry, given their verdict and said it is over, so I don't think the decision will be overturned.

"We have been public enemy number one and the publicity has been ramped up a lot this week as well. I send my commiserations to Sheffield United, as I do my old club Charlton. But now we can look forward."