Strand Larsen strikes as Wolves beat West Ham

Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice against Southampton two weeks ago

Jorgen Strand Larsen made it three goals in two games as Wolverhampton Wanderers beat West Ham United to move further away from the relegation zone.

The Norway striker sat out the international break with a fractured hand, but returned to record a 10th Premier League strike this season.

With Wolves talisman Matheus Cunha still suspended, the 25-year-old Strand Larsen converted just inside the penalty area in the 21st minute following a mazy run from Joao Gomes, albeit with the help of a slight deflection off West Ham's former Wolves defender Max Kilman.

The hosts came close to doubling their lead five minutes later following another Gomes surge and run from Strand Larsen, but Marshall Munetsi's snatched effort crashed off the crossbar.

West Ham never really got going in the first half, although Evan Ferguson - making his first start for the club since his January loan move from Brighton - should have converted Jarrod Bowen's cut-back at the far post 13 minutes in.

Boss Graham Potter made three changes at half-time with Carlos Soler, Niclas Fullkrug and Edson Alvarez all introduced, and the visitors immediately offered more of an attacking threat.

German forward Fullkrug - returning from a hamstring injury that had kept him out since early January - almost made an instant impact, but sliced his finish horribly off target after finding himself behind the Wolves backline.

The Hammers continued to probe and dominate possession, forcing the home side to play on the break, and Strand Larsen fired narrowly wide from a Matt Doherty pull-back after a fast counter-attack.

West Ham thought they deserved a penalty when Doherty appeared to catch Fullkrug in the face with a high boot, but a video assistant referee (VAR) check upheld referee Tony Harrington's on-field decision.

They went agonisingly close again when Fullkrug hit the bar with a towering header, although the offside flag would have ruled it out.

Midfielder Tomas Soucek should have levelled when played through on goal in the 90th minute, but he dragged his effort wide with only keeper Jose Sa to beat.

Wolves had a chance to wrap up the success on the break, but Munetsi prodded wide after Strand Larsen played him in.

A fourth home victory of the season moved Vitor Pereira's side 12 points clear of the relegation zone, although they remain 17th in the table and five points behind West Ham.

The Hammers missed the opportunity to move above Everton and Tottenham Hotspur for the night.

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Strand Larsen steps up in Cunha absence

For so much of this season Cunha has provided the only spark at Molineux, but his team-mates have stepped up since he was handed a four-game suspension last month.

Building on his brace against Southampton two weeks ago, Strand Larsen delivered another classic number nine performance in which he not only scored but held up the ball well and created three chances.

Midfielder Gomes was also fantastic in midfield on the day he signed a a new five-year contract with the club, less than two years since joining from Flamengo.

After a comfortable opening 45 minutes Wolves had to battle against an improved West Ham in the second half, but showed the kind of resilience that was often absent during the latter stages of Gary O'Neil's tenure in the dugout.

Pereira, who has now overseen six wins in his 14 league games since taking charge in December, was clearly delighted at the full-time whistle, and spent several minutes applauding fans as they sung his name in celebration.

Saturday's trip to third-bottom Ipswich will be the final game of Cunha's ban, but in truth Wolves have learned, and shown, they can cope without him.

Fullkrug return offers Hammers hope up front

West Ham have certainly improved under boss Potter, but this was another limp performance and characteristic of a team with little left to play for this term.

The Hammers have won four of their 10 league games since he replaced Julen Lopetegui, but more concerning has been their struggle in front of goal.

Since Potter's first game in charge, no side has averaged fewer shots-per-game in the Premier League than West Ham (9.3), while only Leicester (2) and Ipswich (8) have scored fewer goals than the Hammers (9).

The injury absences of Michail Antonio, Crysencio Summerville and Fullkrug certainly haven't helped, so the return of the latter was good news for Potter.

The German striker made a significant impact after three months out, hitting the woodwork and providing an outlet for his side's balls forward.

West Ham looked far more dangerous with him on the pitch but, after two lengthy spells on the sidelines this season, the challenge will be to keep the 32-year-old fit to see if he can help address their problems up front.