The storm clouds that had been gathering over Upton Park were blown away in spectacular fashion as West Ham crushed Derby and earned the three points which almost certainly ends any worries of relegation.

Harry Redknapp found a system which enabled Joe Cole and Paolo di Canio to flourish in the same team and the match was over as a contest after West Ham raced into a two-goal lead inside the first seven minutes and added a third before half-time.

The past few weeks have not been happy ones for the Hammers and in particular their midfield sensation Cole.

After winning at both Manchester United and Sunderland in the FA Cup their world came crashing around them when they lost at home to Tottenham in the quarter-finals with Cole blamed for two of the goals in a 3-2 defeat.

Cole was criticised too in the home defeats by Ipswich and Everton and then left on the bench at Aston Villa last week.

He was replaced by John Moncur in a more solid-looking midfield amid suggestions it was becoming increasingly harder to accommodate the attacking skills of both the 19-year-old and Italian di Canio in the same line-up.

But there was a happy ending against a poor-looking Derby side, who were blitzed by a West Ham performance which included plenty of flicks and tricks from di Canio and Cole, who scored the pick of the goals.

Freddie Kanoute set the tone of the afternoon when he scored one the flukiest goals of his career to give West Ham the lead after only four minutes at Upton Park.

Cole started the move by releasing Rigobert Song down the right flank. The Cameroon defender went on a run and sent in a low cross which was cleared only as far as the edge of the area. It was met by Cole, who had continued his run, and he drilled in a low shot from 15 yards.

Although the shot was well blocked by Mart Poom in the Derby goal it rebounded out to Kanoute, who was following up from eight yards, hit him on the leg and trickled back over the goalline.

Before Derby had a chance to recover they found themselves two down after seven minutes.

Frank Lampard created a yard of space for himself on the right edge of the Derby box and he picked his spot with a good drive into the bottom left corner.

The cushion enabled West Ham to play the kind of flowing football that had served them so well earlier in the season and Cole might have done better for them after 17 minutes.

Kanoute showed good skill to hold off his marker and release Cole through the middle but he snatched at the chance and sent a shot from 20 yards wide of Poom's left post.

Derby's first real threat came after 31 minutes when skipper Darryl Powell turned smartly on the edge of the box and fired in a low drive which flashed past Shaka Hislop's right post as the Hammers goalkeeper scampered across his goal.

On the stroke of half-time Cole started and finished a move which brought a goal his efforts deserved.

He fed di Canio on the right and when the return pass came into the box Cole swept it high into the net beyond the helpless Poom.

Derby reshuffled at the break, with Eranio being sacrificed for Malcolm Christie, but it looked like a case of closing the stable door after the horse had bolted.

West Ham nearly added a fourth from a 54th-minute free-kick on the right edge of the Derby box.

Di Canio shaped to shoot but fooled everyone by chipping the ball to Nigel Winterburn, who rushed in at the far post. The left-back had a free header but sent it back across the face of goal and beyond the far post.

Deon Burton looked like Derby's best hope of salvaging some respect from the game and he was denied by Hislop's block at his left post after 61 minutes.

Poom came to Derby's rescue with a fine double save after 65 minutes. He blocked di Canio's effort from 20 yards and then recovered well to smother the rebound from Kanoute.

Another Derby break after 69 minutes forced Hislop into action as he saved a good 20-yard effort from Giorgi Kinkladze.

Both teams should have had a penalty after 77 minutes but referee Rob Styles chose to ignore the claims.

A bad header from Ian Pearce let in Christie and he was tripped in the box by Michael Carrick. Then at the other end Cole was bundled over by Horacio Carbonari.

Derby did pull a goal back in a good late spell with seven minutes remaining when substitute Winterburn lost possession and Thordur Gudjonsson swept the ball home from just inside the box.

But the day belonged to West Ham and in particular Cole, who shone after being restored to the team.

Teams

West Ham: Hislop, Stimac, Ian Pearce, Song, Winterburn, Moncur, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Di Canio, Kanoute.

Subs Not Used: Bywater, Dailly, Schemmel, Soma, Todorov.

Goals: Kanoute 5, Lampard 7, Cole 45.

Derby: Poom, Delap, Carbonari, West, Higginbotham (Morris 73), Riggott, Powell, Johnson, Eranio (Christie 46), Kinkladze (Gudjonsson 79), Burton.

Subs Not Used: Grant, Murray.

Booked: Eranio, West.

Goals: Gudjonsson 83.

Att: 25,319

Ref: R Styles (Waterlooville).