Win flatters Fulham as Hammers miss chances
Fulham boss Chris Coleman was absent with a virus but two goals in the space of four second-half minutes before Boa Morte's last-minute clincher will have aided his recovery.
These two teams contested an FA Cup Final in 1975, with West Ham emerging victorious over a Fulham side led by Hammers legend Bobby Moore, and this match took place 11 years to the day after the England World Cup-winning captain died at the age of 51.
But West Ham could not do justice to his memory, dominating most of the match before caving in woefully in front of a disappointing 27,934 crowd, with Marlon Harewood particularly wasteful in front of goal and Edwin van der Sar outstanding.
In the 20th minute the Fulham keeper Van der Sar pulled off a fantastic save to tip Harewood's vicious shot over the crossbar. David Connolly put a free header wastefully high and wide from a Matthew Etherington free-kick before Harewood was denied again yards from the goal-line.
It took the visitors 27 minutes to put a meaningful shot on goal, Moritz Volz forcing Stephen Bywater into a save, but it was difficult to tell which was the Premiership side as Fulham struggled to get their game in gear.
Boa Morte was then guilty of a glaring miss when he put a free header wide from Bobby Petta's cross with a glancing touch in the 42nd minute.
Suddenly the match was flowing from end to end with Bywater sprinting out to clear at the feet of Boa Morte before a stretching Harewood missed the target with a toepoke as the half drew to a close.
West Ham had lost only once since Stephen's Day, and Fulham were struggling to make any headway. But Malbranque was allowed time and space to line up a shot from 18 yards only to drag it wide of the far post.
And substitute Knight should have done better with a wayward header when Carlos Bocanegra nodded a Sean Davis corner back to him.
Harewood then miscued badly when set up by Connolly at the other end, but Bywater saved well from a Davis diving header and suddenly the Hammers were being penned back.
Davis shot marginally wide before Bywater was forced to save from McBride when Ferdinand had dallied too long. But the warning signs were there, and Fulham were soon ahead.
Bocanegra's deft chip sailed over the head of Hayden Mullins and McBride controlled with his chest before firing over Bywater into the top corner.
Van der Sar denied Harewood yet again with his legs shortly afterwards, but substitute Hayles made it two with a close-range tap-in 11 minutes from the end.
Boa Morte made sure in the last minute despite Ferdinand's attempt to clear off the line.
Bywater, Ferdinand, Dailly (Mellor 83), Quinn, Harewood, Horlock (Lee 79), Mullins, Carrick, Etherington, Connolly, Deane (Lomas 73).
Van der Sar, Volz, Legwinski, Goma, Bocanegra, Sean Davis (Pembridge 90), Malbranque, Boa Morte, Djetou (Knight 48), Petta (Hayles 73), McBride.
M Riley (W Yorkshire).
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