West Ham continued their winning ways in the Premier League under new manager Gianfranco Zola with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Two goals in the final three minutes of the first half turned out to be decisive, with Carlton Cole and then Matthew Etherington finding the net.

There was still time for Fulham striker Andrew Johnson to be sent off before the half-time whistle was blown and although the home side were back in the game on the hour mark thanks to Danny Murphy's penalty, there was to be no further scoring.

Zola was able to enjoy his second victory in the league since succeeding Alan Curbishley, although last week's 3-1 Upton Park success over Newcastle had been followed by a Carling Cup exit at Watford in midweek.

Fulham had been so dominant in the opening exchanges that there was no inkling of the series of mishaps that were to befall them, starting with a booking for Johnson in the 20th minute.

Simon Davies was only inches wide with a fierce drive early on although former Hammer Bobby Zamora should have done better when he planted a header wide after Danny Murphy had picked him out in the box.

Zamora poked wide, Johnson headed a Jimmy Bullard free-kick over and Brede Hangeland was also off target when Bullard's corner eluded the West Ham defence.

It seemed it would simply be a matter of time before Fulham took a deserved lead and Bullard, having first planted a free-kick over, was denied only by Green's agility when he beat the wall with another from almost exactly the same spot.

That was as good as it got for Roy Hodgson's side as the flurry of activity at the end of the first period decided it for the Hammers.