Carlton Cole's fifth goal in as many games helped West Ham record a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Upton Park on Sunday.

The industrious Cole also earned a 60th minute penalty, which Mark Noble converted after Paul Konchesky spectacularly cancelled out David Di Michele's 6th minute opener.

The result see's the Hammers extend their unbeaten league run to 11 matches and moves them two places up the table to eighth place.

Di Michele opened the home side's account following a defensive blunder by John Pantsil. Pantsil failed to clear first time and his heavy touch allowed Di Michele to nip in and fire home from six yards out.

Buoyed on by the great start and enthusiastic home support, the Hammers pressed for more but were stunned into silence when Paul Konchesky thundered in a 30 yard screamer in the 22nd minute.

Konchesky's blinding equaliser stemmed his former side's early ascendency and both sides gamely fought out the rest of the half in the midfield trenches.

The second stanza saw the Hammers build on their early first half showing and they got their just reward when "hero soon to become villain" Konchesky brought down the hard running Cole in the box. Noble made no mistake to propel the home team into the lead.

Cole then put the result beyond doubt by calmly placing the ball past Mark Schwarzer 15 minutes from time, after an impressive midfield build-up.

The Cottagers are without midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who has suffered a spate of injuries in recent weeks. A hip injury is the reason for his absence this week, but he also had a dead leg, a groin injury and illness. He is the only casualty in the squad though.

WEST HAM: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Cole, Di Michele.
Subs: Stech, Dyer, Boa Morte, Mullins, Faubert, Tristan, Sears.

FULHAM: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies, Zamora, Johnson.
Subs: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Gera, Gray, Andreasen, Kallio, Baird.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).