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Stoke-on-Trent -Peter Odemwingie netted a brace and Marko Arnautovic also scored to lift Stoke City to a 3-1 win at home against Premier League rivals West Ham on Saturday.
Both were equal on points before the clash with only goal difference separating the midtable sides scrambling to move away from the drop zone.
But the hosts were trailing after just five minutes when striker Andy Carroll scored from a set piece pairing with Mark Noble at the Britannia Stadium.
Carroll rose above Peter Crouch and smashed a header past Asmir Begovic, who had rushed off his line to try to punch the ball away.
It was 25-year-old Carroll's first start since his sending-off at the start of February, and his first goal since last April.
Stoke pulled level after 33 minutes when Crouch's acrobatic shot deflected in off Odemwingie on the line.
Both Steven N'Zonzi and Stephen Ireland missed chances to give the hosts the advantage before the break.
Kevin Nolan thought he had made it 2-1 to the visitors in the 61st minute only for his effort to be controversially ruled offside.
But Austrian winger Marko Arnautovic put Stoke ahead after 69 minutes before Odemwingie slammed home his second from an angled shot off an Ireland pass ten minutes later.
It gave manager Mark Hughes something more to celebrate on his 300th Premier League game as a manager.
Hughes becomes the 10th manager to reach that milestone.
Stoke are provisionally tenth with 34 points, three points above West Ham.
