Herita Ilunga's first goal, a Mark Noble penalty and a Carlton Cole header were enough to see West Ham United cruise past Barnsley into the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.

While some home fans at the Boleyn Ground may have approached the tie against last season's semi-finalists with a degree of trepidation, it took just ten minutes for their nerves to be calmed by the DR Congo left-back. The Tykes did briefly threaten a comeback, but Noble kept his nerve to put United on course six minutes before half-time. Cole then added a third midway through the second half before Kieron Dyer made his eagerly-awaited comeback after 16 months out with a broken leg.

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola made four changes from the side that beat Stoke City 2-1 on 28 December. Hayden Mullins, the Hammers' second longest-serving player, replaced the suspended Scott Parker and was named captain for the day. Noble shrugged off the flu to take the place of muscle injury victim Valon Behrami. At centre back, James Tomkins returned from a successful loan spell at Championship side Derby County to make his first appearance of the season in the absence of Matthew Upson, who had a virus that has forced him to miss training.

Wales captain Craig Bellamy returned up front after missing the Stoke victory through suspension, with David Di Michele dropping down to the substitutes bench. England midfielder Dyer was also named among the replacements for the first time since being hurt in a Carling Cup tie at Bristol Rovers in August 2007.

West Ham's opener was created and finished by Ilunga. A trademark forward run from the African was brought to an abrupt halt by Kayode Odejayi, who was booked for his challenge. The full-back picked himself up and trotted into the penalty area, where he found himself unmarked at the back post and duly converted Noble's deep free-kick via Barnsley midfielder Bobby Hassell's outstretched leg.

The home side should have gone further ahead nine minutes later, but Jack Collison could only drive his shot wide after Wales team-mate James Collins had headed down another teasing Noble set piece. The let-off appeared to give heart to Simon Davey's side, who had beaten Chelsea and Liverpool on the way to the last-four a year ago. First Hugo Colace, with a speculative effort from just inside the West Ham half, then Diego Leon and Jamal Campbell-Ryce all tested Robert Green with long-range shots.

Having weathered the Yorkshire club's attempted comeback, United doubled their lead six minutes before the break. A neat counterattack involving Bellamy, Luis Boa Morte and Cole culminated with Noble being confronted by defenders Mounir El Haimour and Colace inside the Tykes' 18-yard box. A neat turn saw the England Under-21 international slip between the pair before being pulled back by El Haimour.

The Frenchman was booked before Noble confidently slotted the resulting penalty past Heinz Muller's despairing dive into the bottom left-hand corner. It was West Ham's first penalty since the same player struck a last-minute spot-kick to see off Liverpool on 30 January last year. Mullins and Julien Faubert were then booked for fouls on Odejayi and Maceo Rigters respectively before referee Michael Oliver brought the opening half to a close.

Barnsley began the second period with renewed vigour and were unlucky not have halved the deficit five minutes into it. Spaniard Leon let fly from 25 yards, only to see his shot ricochet off the base of the post, off Green's legs and just wide of the same upright to safety. Having survived that shock, and a succession of Tykes' corners, the Hammers regained the ascendancy as the game passed the hour mark.

Muller kept out Collison's low shot before Cole added a third with 21 minutes remaining, rising highest to glance home Ilunga's cross to complete a fine move started by substitute Matthew Etherington - who had replaced Boa Morte just seconds earlier. The goal - Cole's third in three matches - was met with a loud cheer by the home fans among a crowd of 28,869. That noise was matched a minute later when Dyer was sent on to replace Collison.

The 30-year-old's impact was almost immediate as he picked up a loose ball and unleashed a powerful shot that flashed past Muller's near post. At the other end, Green did well to claw aside Campbell-Ryce's curler before Leon's fine free-kick hit the crossbar with the home goalkeeper well beaten, but West Ham had already done more than enough to ensure their name would be in the hat for Sunday afternoon's fourth round draw. That fact was rubber-stamped in the second minute of added-on time when Dyer clipped the crossbar with a superb 25-yard volley.

The result makes it three wins in a row for Zola's men and they will be high in confidence going into next Saturday's game at Newcastle United.