Hull City were beaten 3-0 by West Ham United on a miserable afternoon at Upton Park.

It was a crucial battle of two relegation threatened clubs who both started the day on 24 points but out of the bottom three.

To make matters worse for City, they finished the game with nine men.

They had Craig Fagan sent off in the second half and, having used all three subs also saw Anthony Gardner stretchered off late on.

Phil Brown made one change to the starting eleven with Amr Zaki make his first start in City colours by replacing Jozy Altidore up front.

Altidore dropped to the bench, but there was no return of the previously injured Jimmy Bullard in the City squad.

West Ham could have been in front as early as the second minute when Alessandro Diamanti's free kick from the right was whipped to the near post, but Boaz Myhill turned the ball behind.

Instead, the home side waited until the third minute to hit the front.

Andy Dawson played Tom Cairney into trouble with a ball to feet and when the young midfielder was dispossessed, West Ham always had a man over.

The ball was worked into the path of Valon Behrami and he produced a cool low finish.

West Ham were doing all of the early pressing with Radoslav Kovac off target with a header from a corner.

City began to regain some composure and went close through Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, but his header from Cairney's free kick was held by Robert Green.

Paul McShane and Guillermo Franco were involved in a flashpoint on 18 minutes after the West Ham player had swung his elbow in the direction of the City full back as the pair contested for the ball.

They both went head-to-head, but the referee just gave them both a warning.

Slack defending from Dawson offered Behrami the chance to score a second, but Myhill stood up well at his near post to beat the shot away.

Craig Fagan was booked in the 26th minute for a foul on Scott Parker.

Myhill came to the rescure again on 28 minutes, somehow managing to change direction to push away Behrami's goal-bound header.

In the final minute of the half, George Boateng was denied by a superb Green save as the goalkeeper tipped the midfielder's shot over the bar.

Half Time: Tigers 0-1 West Ham

City were reduced to ten men seven minutes after the break when Fagan was shown a second yellow card for pulling pack Diamanti.

Parker was booked two minutes later for a foul on Zaki.

West Ham doubled their lead on 59 minutes.

Julien Faubert's ball along the deck somehow evaded Anthony Gardner, leaving Carlton Cole with the simple job of finishing past Myhill from six yards.

City had to change something and made a treble change on 65 minutes.

Jozy Altidore, Nick Barmby and Seyi Olofinjana came on for Cairney, Hunt and Zaki.

It would have summed City's day up had Diamanti's shot from inside his own half sailed over Myhill's head and into the net, but the keeper managed to recover and push the ball out for a corner.

The same player saw his next effort fly just over the bar.

At that stage, City were down to nine men with Dawson off the field receiving treatment, although he soon returned.

Altidore had a chance to pull a goal back with 17 minutes to go, but he was off target from 12 yards after collecting Vennegoor of Hesselink's pass.

City were down to nine men for the final ten minutes when Gardner had to be stretchered off with what looked to be a serious leg injury.

West Ham added a third goal in added time with right back Faubert strolling forward before unleashing a pile-driver into the far corner of the net from just inside the box.

Although the Tigers remained in 17th position, the Upton Park setback means they will complete a full year without an away win.

Tigers (4-4-2) Boaz Myhill; Paul McShane, Steven Mouyokolo, Anthony Gardner [captain], Andy Dawson; Craig Fagan, George Boateng, Tom Cairney (Altidore 65), Stephen Hunt (Barmby 65); Amr Zaki (Olofinjana 65), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Subs: Matt Duke, Kamil Zayatte, Kevin Kilbane, Seyi Olofinjana, Nick Barmby, Richard Garcia, Jozy Altidore.

Bookings: Fagan 25 and 53.

Sent-Off: Fagan 53 (second bookable offence). 

West Ham United (4-4-2) Robert Green; Julien Faubert, James Tomkins, Matthew Upson, Jonathan Spector; Valon Behrami, Scott Parker, Rasoslav Kovac, Alessandro Diamanti (Collison 85); Guillermo Franco (Ilan 63), Carlton Cole (Mido 79).

Subs: Marek Stech, Ilan, Mido, Mark Noble, Manuel da Costa, Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas.

Bookings: Parker 55.