This fair took me back to days of yore - when I were a lad (before me sex change) - and my favourite terrace song:
"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to see
West Ham win away"

An away win - what a Christmas present! So unexpected and yet so welcome; the Hammers coming from behind to lift themselves off the bottom and give a real boost to confidence in what is a vital time. It's so easy to read too much into just one win but it shows this season isn't over just yet. Or have I just been at the eggnog a little too much?

The fact was that West Ham capitalised on some poor defending and then found a bit of luck that had eluded them for most of this horrible season. Once in front they looked a different side. It's the type of thing that you cry out for and relish when it arrives.

Carlton Cole looked bright early on; a turn and shot going just wide of the far post, before Fulham went ahead after only 11 minutes when a corner was won after Salcido hit a shot from 30 yards which Robert Green decided to knock wide as the ball bounced coming in. The resulting corner was punched away by the Hammer's stopper, with the follow up cross blocked and spinning wide to Davies, the former Tottenham player put his cross into the area with two Fulham players totally unmarked. Aaron Hughes made no mistake with his header.

The general feeling by the Sky pundits was that Fulham pretty much bossed the rest of the half although, apart from a air kick from Johnson that really should have resulted in - at least - an on-target shot, that wasn't a feeling shared by me. I felt that it was a game West Ham could get back into if the side could get to half-time without conceding further. Not only did that not happen though but West Ham were level after 37 minutes and then ahead just before the break.

The equaliser was a farcical goal in many ways, but good to see it's not only the West Ham defence that give the ball away with impunity. Piquionne's run down the right was flicked back for Sears to cross, but the player recalled from his loan spell with Scunthorpe, could only hit the cross to Etuhu. The Fulham player though inexplicably stuck out a leg to put the ball into the path of Carlton Cole who dutifully poked past Mark Schwarzar to make it 1-1.

Suddenly, it was the Cottager's who looked shell-shocked - but worse was to come for them. On the stroke of half-time, Cole was put through. Pantsil made a good challenge but could only knock the ball out of play. From the resulting throw, it was Parker who crossed superbly to the back stick where Frederique Piquionne volleyed in while totally unmarked. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from the team and West Ham looked a different side in the second half.

Superb play by the rejuvanated Cole allowed Sears to strike just wide before Green saved superbly from a through ball that Johnson struck hard. Suddenly, the Hammers were further ahead. A long punt by Gabbidon was missed by everyone, the Fulham defender just allowing the ball to bounce off his head for Cole to sieze on the half-chance and slot home. Strike up 'Jingle Bells' and with the home fans showing their dissatisfaction of Mark Hughes, Fulham nearly scored through Eddie Johnson but Green made a superb stop.

When the final whistle blew, the feeling was one of euphoria. It wasn't a stunning display - the Hammers have probably played better and lost - but it was a start and that's all we can ask for at the moment.