Seol Ki-Hyeon's stunning second minute strike gave Reading three points at a rain-soaked West Ham, who recorded their fifth successive defeat.
All three Yanks got the start, Bobby Convey working 77 minutes while Jonathan Spector made his home debut for the Hammers and went the full 90, dueling frequently with his international colleague on the wing.
It was Convey who picked up an easy assist on the Reading winner; the American worked a quick restart give-and-go with Seol, who punished a sleepwalking Hammers backline by blasting home from distance with only 78 seconds on the clock.
The home side dominated possession for most of the game, but failed to conjure up any decent chances against a well drilled Royals defense who were content to soak up whatever West Ham threw at them, which never amounted to much.
"It was a really tough game for us," Marcus Hahnemann nevertheless told YA afterwards. "Seol scored a great goal, it was fantastic."
"I don't know how far out he was, but it was an absolute bomb and we were able to defend for the next 88 minutes, play really well and get men behind the ball. We got a clean sheet, but it was difficult."
The first half was especially short on action as Reading switched on their cruise control following their early score and West Ham scurried and slid around to no avail, no thanks to the monsoon that drenched the Boleyn Ground for an hour to make a greased dish of the playing surface.
The water almost provided an assist for Carlos Tevéz to beat Hahnemann in the 10th when his shot hit a puddle in the box, but the Seattle native splashed down to gather the Argentinean's tester.
A minute later, Spector announced himself to the home fans when he responded to their urges to shoot by fully letting rip from 30 yards to rattle his compatriot between the sticks.
West Ham were working most of their moves through Tevéz, who was anchored in the center 25 yards from goal, but Reading's 'no pasaran' policy worked to a tee, frustrating the World Cup star of whom so much is expected.
It was Israeli international Yossi Benayoun who provided the only other moment of interest in the opening spell, twisting and turning on the edge of the box in the 39th before unleashing a shot that sent Hahnemann airborne, but sailed a couple of yards wide of his left hand upright.
Just after the hour mark and with sunshine having replaced the earlier deluge, the home side hammered on Reading's door again, Hayden Mullins drawing a diving punch from Hahnemann with his 30-yard launch.
A flowing move in the 64th minute began with a penetrating run from Matthew Etherington and ended with Tevéz scooping up Benayoun's deft backheel, but firing high and wide.
When the former Corinthians star steered a 25-yarder even further off target three minutes later, it looked like it was not going to be a claret and blue day.
Tevez' exit in favor of Teddy Sheringham in the 71st minute briefly enlivened proceedings, with the 40-year old proving he was no soccer virgin with a number of telling touches that sprung leaks in the Royals' previously watertight rearguard.
Sheringham twice teed up Etherington in the space of a minute, the winger's first effort denied by Hahnemann and his second dragged across the six yard box, evading the Reading goalie as well as Bobby Zamora's sliding cleats by inches.
The Hammers laid siege in the closing minutes with goalkeeper Roy Carroll joining the attack for a couple of corners, but the blue and white legions ahead of them never looked like giving way.
Injury time nearly threw West Ham an unexpected lifeline however, when Benayoun chested down a long chip from Spector and lobbed Hahnemann, only for the ginger head of Steve Sidwell to nod the ball clear of the line.
Hahnemann had a little fun after the final whistle, playing cat and mouse with an Upton Park steward in order to hand his shirt and gloves to one of Reading's Stars and Stripes-bearing supporters.
Having exited Europe on Thursday, the East Londoners sink to 16th in the Premiership, two points off the bottom, while Reading are moored three points off the top.
"Those were difficult conditions today with the big puddles in the goal," Hahnemann said afterwards. "In the beginning, we were trying to play a little bit too much I think."
"That was what the manager said at halftime - make sure we are not overplaying because of the conditions. Maybe it was not the prettiest football, but it was effective."
With a fortnight's break before the Royals entertain the Premiership champions, their American netminder is delighted at his team's progress thus far.
"You can see how much everyone runs around and how hard the guys work for each other, so everyone is going to be looking forward to these two weeks off," confirmed Hahnemann.
"We played really well against Man United, so hopefully we can get another result at home, and if not we are going to have fun and enjoy it - that is what we have been doing every game, and just stick together." |
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