Christanval denies Hammers

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A stoppage-time goal from Philippe Christanval salvaged Fulham a point in an enthralling 3-3 draw with West Ham at Upton Park.

The Fulham central-defender fired home from 12 yards just when it looked like ten-man West Ham had done enough to secure a much-needed win.

Two brilliant individual goals from Yossi Benayoun had put Alan Curbishley's side in the driving seat.

The midfielder clipped a delightful left-foot shot over Fulham keeper Jan Lastuvka straight from the restart to fire his side into a 2-1 lead.

But after Brian McBride had levelled for Fulham, Benayoun kept his nerve to make it 3-2 in the 64th minute.

Fulham had earlier taken a 16th minute lead totally against the run of play from Tomasz Radzinski, only for substitute Bobby Zamora to equalise after 28 minutes.

West Ham had to play the last 14 minutes with ten men after Zamora was dismissed by referee Graham Poll for his second bookable offence.

The home side started brightly and Christanval was lucky not to be sent off when he hauled down Carlos Tevez as the Argentine striker latched on to a long through ball from Benayoun.

Home fans were incensed believing that Christanval was the last defender and jeered referee Poll's decision to issue only a yellow card.

The free-kick came to nothing as Luis Boa Morte drove his effort into the wall and a minute later Christian Dailly headed the former Fulham skipper's cross wide, but luckily for the defender the referee had already blown for offside.

West Ham suffered a setback after seven minutes when James Collins had to go off and was replaced by Jon Spector.

And it became even worse when two minutes later Tevez, still limping from the clash with Christanval, had to give way to substitute Zamora.

West Ham were still the dominant team and debutant Boa Morte should have grabbed his first goal for the club on 15 minutes when he scuffed Spector's cross from the right wide at the far post.

But it was Fulham who broke the deadlock in their first raid into The Hammers' half after a minute later.

Heidar Helguson headed on Wayne Routledge's corner, and with the home defence at sixes and sevens Radzinski turned the ball beyond Roy Carroll from close range.

West Ham deservedly levelled after 28 minutes when Carlton Cole flicked on a long ball from Roy Carroll to Zamora and the striker finished neatly for his 100th league goal.

The goal sparked the home side into life and they could have added a second seconds later when Benayoun's low cross from the right found Boa Morte, but the former Fulham man side-footed across goal when it looked easier to score.

The home side looked menacing and the impressive Cole was only denied a shooting opportunity by a desperate last-ditch tackle by the overworked Carlos Bocanegra.

Referee Poll had to keep his wits about him as the tackles flew in from both sides - Franck Queudrue, Liam Rosenior and West Ham's Nigel Roe-Choker joining Christanval in the book before half-time.

Fulham almost snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time when Radzinski fed Routledge and the striker beat two defenders before firing inches wide of a despairing Carroll.

But it was The Hammers who took the lead within 20 seconds of the restart with a magical individual effort from Benayoun.

Zamora helped the ball on with a neat touch and Benayoun, moving in from the left, struck a cracking shot over Lastuvka into the far corner for his first of the season.

They held the lead for 14 minutes when the home side's inability to clear proved costly as Moritz Volz's cross from the left was met superbly by the head of McBride for the equaliser.

But it was Benayoun who again brilliantly restored The Hammers' hard-won lead in the 64th minute when he pounced on a mix-up between two defenders on the edge of the area, defied Lastuvka's attempt to bring him down and slid his shot past Rosenior on the line.

West Ham's cause was not helped when Zamora needlessly dived in on Bocanegra and was shown a second yellow by referee Poll.

But Fulham piled on the pressure in the final minutes, and after Carroll had pulled off two saves and Benayoun had cleared off his own line, Christanval blasted home the equaliser to spoil the party.