Alan Pardew celebrated his first anniversary in the Hammers' hot seat with three valuable points, as Marlon Harewood and Teddy Sheringham grabbed the goals that secured a 2-0 victory for the Eastenders.
Anxious to put Saturday's 1-0 defeat at high-flying QPR behind them, the Upton Park boss made three changes as Matthew Etherington, Malky Mackay and Rufus Brevett were recalled at the expense of Sergei Rebrov, Anton Ferdinand and the injured Chris Powell.
But although the Hammers kicked off in sixth-spot - one place and one point better off than the visitors - in an edgy opening, it soon became apparent that they were not going to have it all their own way.
As Mackay struggled to get into his stride, Ade Akinbiyi proved a constant, early nuisance while also setting up Marcus Hall for a low, angled, 12-yard shot which the alert Stephen Bywater did well to save.
At the other end, Harewood was foiled by Michael Duberry's brilliant last-gasp block while City keeper Ed de Goey superbly turned aside Hayden Mullins' sizzling low 25-yarder.
Despite both teams disjointed approach play, a goal was still looking on the cards.
And, sure enough, Harewood broke the deadlock on the half-hour, when he collected from Etherington and swept home a shot-on-the turn from 15 yards, as Duberry and fellow central defender, Wayne Thomas prepared to pounce.
Just after the break, the injured Etherington was finally forced to retire, as Sheringham stepped into the fray.
The game had been crying out for some quality and, with the hour mark approaching, the former England international supplied the class when, under pressure from Thomas, he met Harewood's low cross into the six-yard box with a simply sublime back-heel to secure the victory that lifted West Ham into fifth place.