Andy Carroll ensured the Dimitri Payet saga was forgotten for 90 minutes as he fired West Ham to a 3-1 victory at Middlesbrough.
The England striker, whose stunning volley against Crystal Palace last weekend confirmed his return to both fitness and form, gave the visitors the lead with a thumping ninth-minute header and then helped himself to a second from close range after Cristhian Stuani had levelled in front of a crowd of 30,848.
However, the Hammers, who claimed a third in added time through substitute Jonathan Calleri, had earlier been grateful for the woodwork at the Riverside Stadium as the unwitting Stuani was denied a second equaliser by the crossbar after charging down Aaron Cresswell's attempted clearance.