West Ham United's disappointing run of results continued with a 1-0 defeat against Reading at Upton Park on Sunday afternoon.
Alan Pardew's former club produced a smash-and-grab victory by claiming all three points with their only shot on target of the match - a stunning 25-yard strike from Seol Ki-Hyeon inside the first two minutes.
After that, Steve Coppell's men somehow held on as Hammers threw everything at them for the next 88 minutes, without managing to find that all-important breakthrough that is so desperately needed at present.
Pards made four changes to the team that started Thursday's UEFA Cup first round, second leg defeat in Palermo. Christian Dailly returned in the centre of defence to replace James Collins, who aggravated a groin problem in Sicily, while Javier Mascherano, Lee Bowyer and Marlon Harewood made way for Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington and Yossi Benayoun, as the Hammers boss reverted to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation, partnering Carlos Tevez with Carlton Cole in attack.
Without a goal in their last four league and cup games, Hammers were hoping to lift confidence by opening the scoring in a match for only the second time this season. However, that hope disappeared just 78 seconds in, as the visitors took the lead with the first effort of the afternoon.
Awarded a free-kick some 30 yards out, there appeared to be no imminent danger as Korean winger Seol Ki-Hyeon received a short pass. However, as the Hammers rearguard backed off, he was allowed to advance forward and rocket in a blistering shot that left Roy Carroll rooted to the spot.
The torrential rain pouring down only added to the gloom surrounding Upton Park, but Pardew's troops responded to the early set-back by rolling up their sleeves and producing some decent, attacking football that deserved some reward.
On eight minutes, Tevez saw a stinging low shot well held by goalkeeper Marcus Hahenemann, while Jonathan Spector - making his Premiership debut for the Hammers - also tested the Reading stopper with a fierce long-range effort.
As the first-half wore on, Hammers continued to work hard and press their opponents, but the determined and well-organised Reading defence stayed firm and restricted the space that the likes of Tevez, Benayoun and Etherington were desperately trying to make the most of.
The second half began in much the same manner, as Hammers attempted to use the flanks at every opportunity and get their attacking stars on the ball. From an Etherington free-kick, Dailly headed straight at Hahenemann from eight yards out, before Mullins unleashed a powerful 20-yarder that the keeper did well to palm away.
With Tevez and Cole not quite managing to click up front, Pards introduced a fresh pairing of Bobby Zamora and Teddy Sheringham on 70 minutes, and it was the veteran 40-year-old striker who immediately provided the creative spark that opened up the Reading back-line.
Just a minute after his arrival on the pitch, Teddy fed Etherington, who saw his low shot saved by Hahenemann, and moments later another superb reverse-pass inside the full-back released the winger in the box, but this time he dragged his cross-shot wide of the far post.
As Reading sat back, content to soak up the pressure and hit on the break, Hammers were just searching for that one moment of inspiration in front of goal. Two minutes into stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, it seemed to have arrived, as a long kick forward was flicked on by Sheringham to find Benayoun in the box.
The Israeli midfielder expertly lifted his close-range lob over Hahenemann but, just as our own Tyrone Mears had done following Stilian Petrov's effort for Aston Villa in the same spot recently, Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell got back to somehow clear from under the crossbar.
After a miserable month of September, in which Hammers picked up just one Premiership point from a possible nine and were knocked out of the UEFA Cup, October has begun in similar fashion, but Pardew and his players can take heart from a more encouraging performance today that will hopefully help us turn the corner in the coming weeks.