The Hammers were cruising at the interval after Carlton Cole’s header earned them a deserved lead on 16 minutes – and Fulham had midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi sent off on his full debut.

The Hammers lost all composure after the break and their defensive frailties were horribly exposed as Danny Murphy drew Fulham level from the penalty spot (47) before Zoltan Gera slotted home a far-post volley (57).

West Ham became increasingly desperate late on and it was more through luck than judgment that Stanislas earned the point, with a strike that deflected off Aaron Hughes to beat Mark Schwarzer.

The result left Gianfranco Zola’s men second from bottom in the table, with the Cottagers lying in 15th place.