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By Julian Shea
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 Carlton Cole (right) scored for the second game running
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West Ham snatched a late win over a Stoke side that was reduced to 10 men after striker Ricardo Fuller was sent off for fighting with a team-mate.
Abdoulaye Faye's free header to put Stoke ahead was the highlight of a scrappy first half.
Carlton Cole turned Andy Griffin to level for West Ham and some fiery Stoke recriminations saw Fuller dismissed.
Stoke looked to be heading for a draw until Cole's shot was deflected off Diego Tristan into the net.
The first half was a disjointed affair, characterised by Stoke defending in numbers, West Ham piling forward to little clear purpose and over-officious refereeing.
Stoke's hopes of a first away win of the season received an early boost when they went ahead from the first corner of the match.
Faye was left totally unmarked at the far post to head in Danny Pugh's corner from the right-hand side.
Most of West Ham's threats were inspired by Julien Faubert on the right, with Cole usually his intended target.
But for all the problems his physical presence caused the Stoke defence, he rarely managed to create any serious chances.
Having taken an early lead, Stoke seemed happy to soak up the West Ham punches and they were lucky to get away with it when Herita Ilunga found a way through on the left wing and laid the ball back into a crowded box, somehow missing all his team-mates.
Stoke's main attacking threats came from Pugh, Fuller's counter-attacks and inevitably Rory Delap's long throws, but neither keeper was overly tested in the first half.
Just after the restart, the game was turned on its head in memorable fashion.
Cole finally found a way through the defence, controlling Scott Parker's long pass and turning an unfit-looking Griffin to curl in an equaliser.
And before Stoke could even restart, they were reduced to 10 men as Fuller was shown a straight red card for slapping his captain Griffin in the face.
West Ham made the most of their one-man advantage as they piled on the pressure, and only a superbly timed goal-line clearance by Danny Higginbotham prevented Luis Boa Morte putting the home side ahead with a mishit shot.
Delap's long-range shot tested Robert Green but it was a rare second half attack for the visitors.
Their stout defensive display looked to have earned them a draw until Cole's shot took a touch off substitute Tristan and was deflected past the helpless Thomas Sorensen for the winner.
West Ham: Green, Faubert, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker (Mullins 77), Collison (Tristan 77), Boa Morte, Di Michele (Spector 89), Cole.
Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Bowyer, Sears, Ngala.
Booked: Cole, Boa Morte, Di Michele.
Goals: Cole 51, Tristan 88.
Stoke: Sorensen, Griffin (Davies 58), Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Delap, Olofinjana, Whelan, Pugh (Pericard 53), Cresswell, Fuller.
Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Lawrence, Soares, Tonge, Sonko.
Sent Off: Fuller (54).
Booked: Olofinjana, Higginbotham, Abdoulaye Faye.
Goals: Abdoulaye Faye 4.
Att: 34,477
Ref: M Jones (Mansfield).
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Stoke's Abdoulaye Faye 7.29 (on 90 minutes).
Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.
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