Fulham Rocked By Harewood

WEST Ham United have fought out a fantastic 2-1 victory over Fulham in this London derby at Craven Cottage, Marlon Harewood on the scoresheet again.

Harewood notched his fourth goal in five days and set-up the own goal from Fulham keeper Tony Warner that secured Hammers third League win in a row at Craven Cottage.

Alan Pardew made one change from the side that demolished Aston Villa, bringing in Bobby Zamora for Teddy Sheringham, who was rested after starting the first four games of the season. Nigel Reo-Coker, who skippered the side to Play-off Final glory, was named as captain for the first time in the Premier League.

The switch prompted a change in tactics from Pards, with Zamora starting as a lone striker and Harewood playing wide on the right with Yossi Benayoun switching into the centre.

Yet again Hammers were supported by a magnificent travelling contingent, with 4,000 fans cramming inside Craven Cottage and greeting Alan Pardew's men with a chorus of Bubbles.

It was a lively start from both teams, but Fulham carved out the first real chance of the match with two minutes gone when Claus Jensen skipped past Anton Ferdinand and raced in on goal only to be foiled by the legs of Roy Carroll.

Hammers were more than matching their opponents, but it was the home side creating the chances. On 12 minutes Luis Moa Morte put over a deep cross from the left, which was met by Brian McBride's header, forcing a flying save out of Carroll to push the ball away.

There was plenty of derby day passion in this encounter, underlined by a fiery clash between Boa Morte and Tomas Repka which earned the Fulham captain a booking on 20 minutes.

Moments later Benayoun laid on a great chance for Hammers when he skipped away from Mortiz Volz's challenge and crossed low into the box, but no one was there to meet it.

From the resulting corner the ball dropped for Zamora, who hit a great volley on the turn, which forced Fulham goalkeeper Tony Warner into his first save of the match.

Hammers had the ball in the net with 27 minutes gone, when Warner failed to hold a stinging angled volley from Matty Etherington and Benayoun smuggled the ball through to Marlon Harewood. Monday night's hat-trick hero duly swept the ball home, but the linesman was quickly flagging for offside.

The half hour mark saw Carroll tip over a rasping McBride drive from 25 yards, before Harewood came within inches of giving Hammers the lead, volleying against the bar from 12 yards out. Reo-Coker followed up to head wide from barely a yard out, but the effort would have been ruled out for offside.

With 10 minutes to go until half-time Zamora headed wide from Etherington's corner as Hammers enjoyed a sustained period of pressure.

It was broken on 40 minutes though when Boa Morte sent a fierce drive from the edge of the area crashing into the side netting.

Tempers began to fray in the closing stages, with Reo-Coker seeing yellow along with Fulham's Steed Malbranque as the pair clashed and Carlos Bocanegra also going in the book for a cynical challenge on Harewood. 

Warner fumbled the ball at Benayoun's feet as the half drew to a close, but the Israeli could not make anything of the chance and the teams went off locked at 0-0 in this competitive London derby clash.

HT: 0-0

Hammers came out firing for the second-half and within a minute of the restart the deadlock had been broken. Tomas Repka played a ball over the top which was flicked on by Zamora to Harewood.

He did brilliantly to beat Zat Knight and as Warner rushed from his goal flicked the ball over the keeper to make it 1-0.

Suddenly Hammers were in control and on 52 minutes were two up. No surprise about the man at the centre of the action, as Harewood received a low cross from Paul Konchesky turned and thundered a shot against the post. The ball rebounded off the woodwork only to strike the unfortunate Tony Warner and canon into the back of the net.

An own goal from the goalkeeper, but the army of travelling Hammers fans didn't care as they celebrated wildly West Ham's 2-0 lead.

On 56 minutes Papa Boupa Diop was wide with a header as the home side looked for a way back into the game.

Claus Jensen went closer five minutes later with a curling shot from just outside the area that Carroll did well to push around the post diving to his right.

Fulham did find a way through on 66 minutes though. It was a moment of magic from Boa Morte that got Fulham back in it, the captain curling a magnificent left foot shot past Carroll and into the far corner of the net from the edge of the area to make it 2-1.

The home side had Alan Pardew's men on the back foot. So Pards turned to the old head of Teddy Sheringham, bringing on the veteran striker for Yossi Benayoun on 73 minutes having introduced Shaun Newton for Zamora 10 minutes earlier.

Still Fulham were piling forward in search of an equaliser, but Hammers defence, marshalled by the excellent Danny Gabbidon and Anton Ferdinand were holding firm.

With three minutes left Jeremie Aliadiere was introduced in place of Harewood, who earned a great reception from the West Ham faithful.

Moments later a back header from Voltz found its way through a crowded penalty area but was dramatically hooked off the line by Gabbidon as Hammers valiantly resisted the Fulham onslaught, despite four minutes of added time, to earn a fantastic 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage and their first away win of the new Premiership season.