First-half goals from Kevin Nolan, Winston Reid and Matt Taylor saw Fulham slip to a heavy defeat at West Ham United.

Inspired by loan signing Andy Carroll, the Hammers were rampant in the opening 45 minutes. Nolan put them in front inside 60 seconds, with Reid doubling their advantage just before the half-hour mark. Taylor added a third on 41 minutes to leave Fulham shellshocked.

The Whites introduced deadline-day signing Dimitar Berbatov after the break and although they turned in an improved display in the second period, with Hugo Rodallega hitting a post, they couldn’t find a way back from 3-0 down as they slipped to a third successive defeat.

Martin Jol made five changes from the side that lost 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One on Tuesday night, including a debut for deadline-day arrival Kieran Richardson, who was on West Ham’s books as a youngster. Fellow new signing Berbatov was named on the substitutes’ bench.

John Arne Riise, Mladen Petric, Mahamadou Diarra and Sascha Riether also returned to Fulham’s starting XI, while West Ham gave a debut to on-loan Liverpool striker Carroll.

Fulham couldn’t have got off to a worse possible start, going behind with less than a minute on the clock. A long punt forward by James Collins saw Carroll beat Brede Hangeland in the air to flick the ball on to Ricardo Vaz Te. He controlled the ball before teeing up the onrushing Nolan to fire a left-footed effort past Mark Schwarzer from eight yards.

Fulham responded with a good spell of possession and Richardson forced a save from Jussi Jaaskelainen with a long-range drive in the seventh minute.

But it was almost 2-0 to the Hammers on nine minutes when Carroll knocked a cross into the path of Mohamed Diame, who saw his half-volley brilliantly tipped onto the bar and over by Schwarzer. Two minutes later, the big Australian had to be alert to palm a Vaz Te shot round his near post after good work by Taylor down the left had teed up the Portuguese midfielder.

The Whites could have drawn level on 15 minutes. Hangeland’s long pass put Damien Duff in behind Joey O’Brien but the Fulham man misjudged the flight of the ball and poked his effort well wide. Replace Hangeland for Riise and it would have been an almost identical move that led to Duff’s goal against Norwich City.

At the other end, Nolan chipped Schwarzer but saw his effort land on the roof of the net, while Carroll saw penalty claims waved away after an apparent push from Riether.

The hosts increased their lead in the 29th minute. Taylor whipped in a left-footed corner from the right and Reid climbed above Diarra to head powerfully past Schwarzer.

And it was 3-0 to the Hammers on 41 minutes. A floated free-kick from the right by Collins flicked off Hangeland’s back as he tried to beat Carroll in the air. The ball landed perfectly for Taylor, who lashed a left-footed effort past a stranded Schwarzer.

Jol made a change at half-time, giving a debut to Berbatov, the Bulgarian replacing Petric. But it was West Ham who again made the early running, with a Taylor free-kick forcing an unconventional save from Schwarzer, who was forced to scoop the ball into the air.

Berbatov showed some trademark flicks and close-ball control in his second-half cameo, setting up Rodallega on 66 minutes, only for the Colombian’s shot to be bravely charged down by Collins. Berbatov then turned O’Brien inside out, but saw his effort blocked. From the resulting corner, Sidwell’s stab at goal was pushed away by Jaaskelainen, who then got down quickly to save from Rodallega on 73 minutes.

The Finland goalkeeper turned a Duff shot behind in the 89th minute and a Rodallega effort squirmed off the West Ham man and onto the post, before proceedings came to a close, with Fulham having to wait until 15th September for the chance to get back on track.