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West Ham missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League when they were beaten 3-1 by Bolton at Upton Park.

Kevin Davies capitalised on a horrendous goalkeeping error to put the visitors ahead on 30 minutes before Gary Cahill made it two before half-time.

Carlton Cole's 68th minute header gave West Ham hope but a stunning free-kick from substitute Matthew Taylor sealed all three points for Bolton as time ran out.

It was the Trotters' first away win of the season while the result saw the Hammers slip to a first league defeat under new boss Gianfranco Zola.

West Ham started the match brightly, Cole, David Di Michele and Valon Behrami all going close, but not testing Jussi Jaaskelainen, from distance but it was Bolton who took the lead after half an hour of play.

Robert Green was terribly at fault, the Hammers keeper producing one of the clangers of the season so far when he dropped a long ball into the box right at Davies's feet. The Bolton striker did not need a second invitation and he shot into the empty goal to register his fourth goal of the fledgling campaign.

And there was no respite for the unfortunate keeper when just four minutes later he found himself in the firing line once again; this time he could not hold on to a crisp half volley from Gretar Steinson and the ball fell to a grateful Cahill, who applied the finishing touch.

Zola opted not to make any changes to his personnel at the break, and his faith in his starting XI nearly paid off just five minutes into the second half when Cole forced a tremendous save from Jaaskelainen with a slight deflected shot from 25 yards.

But 15 minutes later, Jaaskelainen turned from hero to villain when he was guilty of spilling a Scott Parker drive; fortunately for him West Ham did not have anyone as alert as Cahill had been in the first half and the Finn was able to recover and claim the ball.

Cole was the main culprit for failing to follow in, but the striker was to make amends soon after when he headed home from close range to put the hosts right back into the game on 68 minutes.

But it was to prove nothing more than a consolation as Taylor - who had been introduced as a 73rd minute replacement for Johan Elmander - nearly burst the back of the net with a wickedly swerving free kick with four minutes remaining.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport