West Ham 1 Wolves 3:Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle scored his seventh goal of the season to set Wolverhampton Wanderers on their way to a crucial away win over West Ham United and move Mick McCarthy's side into 15th place in the Premier League.
Doyle’s calm finish in the 28th minute put Wolves in the driving seat but it was the two goals in three second half minutes that eased their relegation worries, while putting four points between them and their beleaguered opponents.
Full-back Ronald Zubar doubled Wolves’ advantage two minutes before the hour with an expertly drilled shot across Robert Green before Matt Jarvis finished off a sweeping move with aplomb to put the result beyond doubt.
Guillermo Franco showed poise in front of goal when lifting the ball over Marcus Hahnemann in injury time, but it was a mere consolation for the hosts.
The result leaves Gianfranco Zola’s side where they started this evening, three points off the relegation zone in 17th position.
After losing their last three home games, Wolves have now taken seven points from their last three on the road after a 2-1 win at Burnley and a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
For the Hammers, it was the fifth defeat on the bounce, with 14 goals conceded.
Despite Upton Park being half empty by the final whistle, the new joint-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan were still in their seats and they had to listen to the boos and the chants of “your not fit to wear the shirt”.
Kieron Dyer may no longer be alone on their list of overpaid and underperforming players.
West Ham crumbled the moment Doyle, who led the line magnificently all evening, pounced on a defensive howler from James Tomkins to put Wolves ahead.
Wolves had fired a warning shot inside eight minutes when Doyle beat Matthew Upson to a long ball and flicked it on for Kevin Foley, who struck a rising shot from an acute angle that beat Green but rattled the crossbar.
West Ham had started brightly and took the game to Wolves. Scott Parker tried his luck from distance and Julien Faubert cut in from the left before dragging his shot harmlessly across goal.
Benni McCarthy picked out Carlton Cole’s run into the box but he was well marshalled by Jody Craddock and scuffed his left-footed shot.
But West Ham lacked a cutting edge and had nothing to show for all their possession when Wolves landed a sucker punch.
Tomkins failed to deal with a simple pass 40 yards from his own goal, Doyle pounced on the loose ball and bore down on goal before sliding his angled shot past Green and into the far corner.
The goal sparked a major shift in momentum. Wolves began to dictate play and should have had a penalty when Radoslav Kovac chopped Dave Jones down on the edge of the box but referee Dowd waved play on.
West Ham were chasing shadows as Wolves built a slick move with Michael Mancienne and Doyle interchanging passes wonderfully to create a shooting opportunity for Jones, which was deflected wide.
McCarthy opened up the Wolves defence with a clever lay-off for Parker, who charged into the box and curled a right footed shot past Hahnemann but it rebounded off the inside of the post and rolled across the goal-line.
But Wolves scrambled the ball clear and preserved their lead into the interval, when Zola made two key changes with Tomkins replaced by Jonathan Spector and Junior Stanislas sent on for Kovac.
Soon after the break, Faubert picked out McCarthy at the near post but the South African striker could not twist his header on target and it drifted wide.
Diamanti, who had switched wings to accommodate Stanislas, worked some space in-field and tested Hahnemann with a bobbling effort from 25 yards but the American keeper was equal to it.
West Ham almost gifted Wolves another goal when the alert Matt Jarvis came close to intercepting a poor header from Faubert back to Green.
But it was only a temporary reprieve as Wolves struck twice in three minutes.
West Ham failed to clear their lines properly and Zubar raced onto Jones’ pass into the box and he drove a cross-shot low past Green.
Jones was the creator again and this time Jarvis latched onto his through-ball into the box and he fired Wolves into a 3-0 lead, sparking elation in the away end and anger everywhere else.
Chants of “your not fit to wear the shirt” rang around the stadium and the “clap-banners” West Ham had provided to help create and atmosphere were thrown in fury.
Franco scored with a deft chip over Hahnemann but the game had long since gone as Wolves sealed a deserved victory.
