FULHAM committed a form of hara-kiri in the closing minutes of the first half, giving away two soft goals and having new striker Andrew Johnson sent off for a second yellow card.

It was, however, much to Fulham’s credit and sheer stamina that they should prevent West Ham scoring again and score from a penalty themselves.

Matthew Etherington, loudly booed by a home crowd which resented how quickly, late in the first half, he recovered from treatment to involve himself in those two goals, profited from Fulham’s defensive distractions. On 43 minutes, shortly after he had had treatment, and switched at that point from his familiar left-flank position to the right, he took a pass from Carlton Cole, crossed, and Cole creditably and swiftly hooked up at the far post to put his team ahead.

The game had gone into stoppage time when Fulham gave away a second goal, still more of an embarrassment when their defence was far too easily breached by a pass from the always-active and influential Mark Noble. Mark Schwarzer decided, fractionally too late, he would have to race out of his area to clear the ball. Etherington, by this time out on the left, got his foot to it first and the ball rolled tantalisingly into the Fulham goal to make it 2-0.

Shortly after that Johnson, who had made a minimal impact committed his second foul when he went through on Lucas Neill and off he went.

After that, it was no surprise West Ham were largely able to control the game, although for much of the first half Fulham had made the running. Bobby Zamora, the former West Ham player, headed over the top in the first half when he might have scored and was not far wide in the second. Jimmy Bullard, never discouraged, in that first half took a free kick after 33 minutes that forced Robert Green to push the ball for a corner.

Early in the second half Schwarzer partly redeemed himself, saving first from Noble, then from the lively Congo-bornleft-back Herita Ilunga. Late on he would make a still better save from Valon Behrami, set up by the ever-electric Craig Bellamy, on as a substitute.

The penalty came on 59 minutes. A right-wing corner from Bullard was headed back into the box by Zoltan Gera. Lucas Neill handled and Danny Murphy shoved the penalty away.

Disillusioned Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said: “I’m extremely unhappy we got nothing out of the game. It’s going to go down as one of those weird games. You’ve got to be satisfied with a lot of things. Some excellent football. In three minutes the game changed.” In particular, he felt that Johnson hadn’t fouled Neill for his second yellow card.

As for West Ham’s recently acquired Gianfranco Zola, “I think we played a good match; had a few occasions in the second half to make it better. Mark Noble was playing very well, Parker was playing fantastic. Everybody is giving to the team a lot, Etherington as well. They are responding very well to my demands. As we get on together longer, they will be much better.”

Star man: Matthew Etherington (West Ham)

Referee: A Marriner

Attendance: 23,946

FULHAM: Schwarzer 6, Pantsil 5, Hughes 5, Hangeland 6, Konchesky 6, Gera 6, Murphy 7, Bullard 7, Davies 6, Johnson 4, Zamora 6

WEST HAM: Green 6, Faubert 5, Neill 6, Upson 6, Ilunga 7, Behrami 6, Parker 7 (Mullins 79min), Noble 7, Etherington 7 (Boa Morte 90min), Cole 7, Di Michele 5 (Bellamy 74min)