Fulham 3 Albion 0

Scott Carson's gaffe floored Albion as the Baggies crashed to their fifth straight defeat at Premier League relegation rivals Fulham.

The goalkeeper let Simon Davies' long-range strike through his hands in first-half injury time to spark a collapse after a battling opening 45 minutes from the injury-ravaged Baggies.

Clint Dempsey's 55th minute header doubled Fulham's lead, before Brede Hangeland made it 3-0 nine minutes later.

Before Carson's error the visitors were in the game, but defeat leaves them just two points off the drop zone.

And their defensive woes increased when Marek Cech limped off after 31 minutes following a challenge from John Pantsil.

Head coach Roberto Di Matteo's plans had already been wrecked after he was robbed of four key defenders.

Jonas Olsson (Achilles), Paul Scharner (illness), Gabriel Tamas (suspension) and Steven Reid (knee) were all sidelined.

It forced Gonzalo Jara and Gianni Zuiverloon into the centre together,while James Hurst made his Premier League debut at right-back.

Albion were rocking on five minutes when Chris Baird's long ball found Diomansy Kamara and Carson reacted well to parry his snap-shot.

The Cottagers started well but Peter Odemwingie almost shocked the hosts after 13 minutes, when goalkeeper David Stockdale claimed his deflected drive at the second attempt.

But it was brief respite and the hosts' penalty appeals were waved away on 16 minutes when Youssouf Mulumbu clattered into Dempsey.

For all Fulham's possession Albion should have gone ahead on 18 minutes, when Chris Brunt's pass split the hosts' defence only for Jerome Thomas to shoot tamely one-on-one with Stockdale from 18-yards.

Cech then limped off after 31 minutes to be replaced by Nicky Shorey.

Seconds later, Zuiverloon blocked Dempsey's close-range effort before Davies volleyed wide and Graham Dorrans' 35-yard drive flashed over.

Damien Duff saw his low shot deflect wide five minutes before the break and Hangeland headed the resultant corner inches wide.

But, in first-half injury time, Albion's resistance was broken when Dickson Etuhu robbed Mulumbu – with a hint of a foul – to feed Davies and the Welshman's shot from 30-yards flew through Carson's arms and into the top corner.

The captain should have done better with his gaffe undoing all of Albion's fine first-half work.

Boosted, Fulham started the second period strongly and Duff's drive whistled inches wide before Dempsey doubled the Cottagers' lead on 56 minutes, heading in Davies' corner.

Worse was to follow when Hangeland nodded in unmarked nine minutes later from another Davies corner to make it 3-0 and seal the game.

To their credit, Albion pressed and Chris Brunt shot narrowly over with 15 minutes remaining, but they couldn't recover.