PAVEL POGREBNYAK helped himself to a hat-trick - making it five goals in three games - to maintain his dream start to life in the Premier League.

The Russian bagged two first half goals to set Fulham on their way to a very comfortable win in the rain, which eases Martin Jol's men into the top half of the table.

After Clint Dempsey had notched the third goal, the Russian was on hand to tuck home his third just past the hour when keeper Wayne Hennessey spilled a low shot from Andy Johnson.

Dempsey added the fifth seven minutes from time to bring up his 12th Premier League goal of the season - his 18th in all competitions.

All this too, on a day when Chelsea parted company with yet another manager to make life even sweeter for home fans.

'Who needs Zamora, when we've got the Pog?' chorused the Fulham faithful, who must be sensing a joyous and carefree end to the season.

Fulham looked on the money from the word go and very soon, both John Arne Riise and Damien Duff had Hennessey scrambling after efforts which flashed inches wide of both posts from 25 yards.

There was also a delicious moment, when Moussa Dembele's quick feet bamboozled two Wolves defenders and his ball out wide to Riise would have found the net off Johnson's boot at the near post had Hennessey not got a vital touch.

Even Philippe Senderos was minded to push forward as the Whites tore into their visitors and he almost profited when Pogerbnyak nodded down a Danny Murphy chip – the defender's snatched shot from inside the box flashing wide.

It was only a question of when, rather than if, and the Russian finally made the breakthrough on 36 minutes – stooping to head in a Duff corner at the far post.

Eight minutes later and after Dempsey had picked up a stray pass, Pogrebynak played the ball out to Johnson before racing on to crash the ball past Hennessey with his right foot.

Apart from a Kevin Doyle header just off target following a Jamie O'Hara free-kick, Wolves looked a Championship side in waiting and bent only on damage limitation.

They were not even very good at that.

It looked odds on to be more of the same within minutes of the restart, when the Wolves keeper spilled an Aaron Hughes cross and Johnson rolled the ball across a gaping goal.

No-one was on hand to apply the finishing touch then, but there was not much time to fret over that because Dempsey was soon making it 3-0 on 56 minutes.

The USA striker raced onto another of those perfect slide-rule passes from Murphy before taking the ball wide of Hennessey and burying a right foot shot.

Five minutes later and Pogrebnyak was celebrating his treble.

Johnson deserved to get in on the act, but a fine chip clipped the bar, while Dembele also went close with a swivel and shot inside the area. Both were on song, running at terrified defenders all afternoon.

Jol had the luxury of taking Murphy off with 20 minutes to go, giving a debut to ex Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra – who will not have minded getting the lack of pressure at 4-0.

The new boy had a hand in the final goal to announce his arrival, linking up with Porgerbnyak before slipping the ball in to Dempsey, who fired into the roof of the net past an exposed Hennessey.

It surely won't always be that simple for the Malian newcomer.

Line-up: Schwarzer; Hughes, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Duff (Davies 80), Dembele, Murphy (Diarra 69), Dempsey; Johnson, Pogrebnyak (Frei 86). Subs not used: Stockdale, Sa, Etuhu, Halliche. Attendance: 24,034

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