Hammers give Wolves a rude awakening

West Ham brought newly-promoted Wolverhampton down to earth with a bump as Gianfranco Zola’s side ran out easy 2-0 winners at Molineux on Saturday.

After the euphoria of winning the Championship last season, Mick McCarthy’s team must now realise the size of the task facing them to stay in the Premier League for longer than a season.

They paid the price for some careless defending and West Ham took full advantage to make a winning start thanks to goals from Mark Noble and Matthew Upson either side of half-time.

Wolves, back in the top-flight after a six-year absence, made a bright start and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake headed over the bar from a good position in the 14th minute following a cross from Stephen Ward.

Andy Keogh then tried to curl a shot beyond goalkeeper Robert Green, only for his effort to drift wide.

But West Ham made the breakthrough after 22 minutes with Wolves caught napping.

England striker Carlton Cole played the ball across the face of the area and Noble was given time and space to clip a shot over Wayne Hennessey.

Zola’s team nearly scored again when Hennessey parried Cole’s effort and the ball broke to Kieron Dyer. He rattled in a shot, only for Jody Craddock to clear off the line and concede a corner.

Wolves made a rousing start to the second half and Green did well to turn away Nenad Milijas’s shot in the 47th minute after seeing it late.

However West Ham almost added a second six minutes later following a mistake by skipper Craddock, but Wolves’ Kevin Foley cleared Jack Collison’s effort off the line.

That only prolonged the inevitable and Upson’s simple header made it 2-0 in the 69th minute.

West Ham could have added a third in the 82nd minute but Luis Jimenez’s shot came back off Hennessey’s chest.

Wolves, who finished with 10 men after an injury to Ebanks-Blake, nearly got a consolation goal, but Green blocked Richard Stearman’s effort following a cross from Greg Halford.