Making light of harsh memories, and the loss in midweek of Kieron Dyer, West Ham, inspired by Craig Bellamy, simply took Reading to pieces.

As early as the sixth minute, it was plain that West Ham were most unlikely to repeat the fearful 6-0 humiliation they suffered here last New Year’s Day.

When Lee Bowyer intercepted a Reading midfield pass, he expertly and precisely stroked the ball to enable Craig Bellamy to go through a huge gap. Away went Bellamy, never an easy man to catch at the best of times, finally to send his low right-footed cross-shot into the left-hand corner of the Reading goal.

What a colossal relief it must have been to West Ham manager Alan Curbishley, who was obliged to sit and watch his team’s destruction on January 1. He could hardly be held blameless for that defeat, even though the Hammers’ performance was flaccid and inept in the extreme.

Curbishley inexplicably failed to get Carlos Tevez off the bench. Had he put him on from the beginning, it is arguable that Tevez, with his energy, commitment and determination, would have set the rest of the West Ham team an example, instead of lying down to die.

West Ham could not add to that early goal before half-time, but they had unquestionably been the better team, poised, intelligent and progressive against a Reading side which played only in fits and starts, though there was always hope in the enterprise of their Republic of Ireland international left winger Stephen Hunt, who was quick, illusive and intelligent.

West Ham, for their part, had their much lauded centre forward Dean Ashton making his first start since his return from all those months out with injury.

Could he only recover the exhilarating force he showed in the 2006 FA Cup Final in Cardiff against Liverpool, he could well solve a salient problem for England.

Bellamy was, at his most lively and illusive, a sharp contrast to the player one has seen untypically labouring when West Ham lost their first Premier League game of the season at home to Manchester City. At his best Bellamy has speed of thought as well as speed of foot.

But though West Ham had territorial dominance they were not making chances, and eventually, with a few minutes remaining to half time, Hunt could have equalised for Reading when his shot grazed the top of Robert Green’s crossbar. This followed an elaborate move when Graeme Murty crossed the ball which was turned back by Kevin Doyle to his fellow Irishman. You could not, however, help thinking that Reading seriously missed the robust and intelligent skill of Steve Sidwell in central midfield. Departed for Chelsea, who did not have to pay a penny for him, he now sits on the substitute’s bench.

After four minutes of the second half, West Ham had doubled their lead with a splendidly well-taken goal.

It was interesting the scorer, who also played a crucial part in the build up, should be the left winger Matthew Etherington. Against Manchester City, sent on as a substitute, he had looked far the most impressive and effective of a largely dull team. He did not produce much of consequence in the first half. But now Bellamy moved the ball out to Etherington, who played a crisp one-two with his forward, then drove his shot home.

There was something horribly amiss about this Reading defence, embarrassingly vulnerable to the throughball. Twice in half a dozen second-half minutes it was penetrated again, and twice they escaped, when West Ham seemed certain to score.

On 63 minutes, it was Bellamy and Bowyer again, with Bellamy skilfully splitting the Reading back four, giving Bowyer another free run. A goal seemed inevitable but this time Bowyer contrived only to strike his shot low and wide of the far post. In the 69th minute it was Carlton Cole who had just come on for Ashton, and is surely better known as a taker rather than creator of goals, whose turn it was to find Reading’s defence abysmally square and wanting. This time it was Etherington, all alone, who should have scored, only for Reading’s American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann to resourcefully come off his line, dive and block the ball.

Hope burgeoned in the Reading side when, with 14 minutes left, Nicky Shorey, who West Ham have recently been pursuing, sent the ball through to the substitute Dave Kitson. Robert Green rushed out of the West Ham goal, dived at Kitson’s feet, only to bring him down. The penalty was taken by Doyle, but his effort was close enough for Green to make amends by diving to his left and keeping the shot out.

Employing Kitson up front in what was now a 4-3-3 formation, Reading’s defence simply disintegrated.

When the irrepressible Bellamy found Cole, Hahnemann brought off another accomplished save. At the other end, in a brief Reading flurry, Kalifa Cisse had a shot blocked, but away came West Ham again, Cole bisected what now passed for Reading’s defence and Etherington scored again, a drilled left-foot shot from 20 yards. Reading West Ham 2 Shots on target (incl goals) 8 8 Shots off target 4 3 Blocked shots 4 14 Corners won 4 10 Total fouls conceded 14 1 Offsides 6 0 Yellow cards 1 0 Red cards 0 52% Possession 48%

Star man: Craig Bellamy (West Ham)

Player ratings: Reading: Hahnemann 7, Murty 6, Duberry 5, Ingimarsson 5, Shorey 6, Fae 5 (Kitson 61min), Gunnarsson 5 (Cisse 69min), Harper 6, Hunt 6, Doyle 5, Lita 5 (Convey 75min)

West Ham: Green 7, Neill 6, Ferdinand 6, Upson 6, McCartney 6, Bowyer 6 (Spector 81min), Mullins 7, Noble 7, Etherington 7, Bellamy 8 (Boa Morte 90min), Ashton 7 (Cole 65min)