Alan Pardew included Swiss trialist Yves Mieville in the squad to face Colchester for Karl Duguid's testimonial.
Karl is described by former West Ham trainee Joe Keith as a "lunatic...and one of the best players I have ever played with."
West Ham had the better of the opening exchanges after Duguid, with a knee injury, was substituted just two seconds into the game, going off to a handshake from Alan Pardew.
Matthew Etherington and Teddy Sheringham both had keeper Dean Gerken at full stretch before the Hammers made the break through with a lovely move.
Hayden Mullins played the ball out of defence, Teddy Sheringham won the header on the half way line under pressure, Marlon Harewood kept the ball in and played it to Nigel Reo-Coker, and he squared it to Matthew Etherington to sidefoot home.
For the home side, Craig Fagan tested James Walker before heading wide, while Marlon Harewood was unlucky not to make it 2-0 before the break when he miscued after rounding Dean Gerken.
However, he did do just that shortly after half time when, following a good interchange of passes with Teddy Sheringham, he stroked home a powerful drive.
Adam Nowland was the first substitute of the evening, complete with sharp new mohican hair cut, coming on for Michael Carrick after he had been on the end of a robust challenge.
Alan Pardew then swapped the central defensive pairing of Christian Dailly and Anton Ferdinand with Andy Melville and Yves Mieville, though the latter was then replaced some 10 minutes later when Tomas Repka came on for him.
By then, Colchester had pulled one back, when Wayne Brown's header came off the bar and substitute Ben Bowditch forced the ball home.
Greg Pearson was a late substitute for Teddy Sheringham.
TEAM: Walker, Mullins, Cohen, Carrick [Nowland], Ferdinand [Mieville {Repka}], Dailly [Melville], McAnuff, Reo-Coker, Harewood, Sheringham [Pearson], Etherington.
Subs unused: Bywater, Brevett.
A collection was made for the Bobby Moore fund on the night.
Attendance: 5,258.