Christanval steals point for Fulham

12 April 2012

West Ham fans blamed referee Graham Poll for two points lost after he sent off substitute striker Bobby Zamora for a second bookable offence in the 3-3 draw against Fulham at Upton Park.

French defender Philippe Christanval fired home Fulham's equaliser in a goalmouth scramble after four minutes of stoppage-time, after a double by Yossi Benayoun appeared to put the Hammers in charge.

Zamora had levelled in the 28th minute - with his 100th league goal and first in 19 appearances - after Tomasz Radzinski's freak opener, but Brian McBride's equaliser kept Fulham in the game before Christanval sealed their sixth consecutive draw at the death.

West Ham dominated even after going behind to Radzinski's lucky second goal of the season.

Heidar Helguson put in a hopeful header from a Wayne Routledge corner and the ball appeared to strike Radzinski on the shin before deflecting past Roy Carroll.

Hammers fans were growing restless when Benayoun overhit a free-kick, but the jeers were replaced by cheers in the 28th minute when Zamora raced onto Carlton Cole's flick-on to steer his shot home.

The Hammers grabbed the lead 12 seconds after the break. Zamora clipped Benayoun in from the left for the Israeli to score with a cross-shot.

Amazingly, the next goal came from Fulham - McBride netting a pull-back from the left by Moritz Volz in the 57th minute.

Then Benayoun came to the rescue again, pouncing on turmoil in the Fulham rearguard. Two defenders collided as he snaffled possession on the edge of the box before sliding his shot past Liam Rosenior on the line.

Zamora was given his marching orders after fouling Carlos Bocanegra in the 76th minute. But the Hammers were caught out after five minutes of stoppage-time were added when Christanval blazed home his first for Fulham.

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