Kitson denies Hammers in tight tussle at Upton Park

Brynjar Gunnarsson should be donating his bonus to his Reading team-mates, who battled so hard over 62 minutes after the Icelandic midfielder was sent off for the latest example of the dreaded two-footed tackle.

Referee Peter Walton flourished the red card without hesitation for the reckless challenge on Hayden Mullins on 28 minutes and even Reading manager Steve Coppell did not defend his man.

Coppell said: 'The one tackle that is really current is the two-footed jump tackle which I, like anybody else, want removed from the game. 'I know Bryn didn't mean anything by it but, by the strict letter of the law, it was a two-footed tackle so he had to go.'

Hammers manager Alan Curbishley said: 'I can only assume his feet left the ground, which is the big talking point at the moment.

'There have been inconsistencies but with what has happened over the last two weeks, you can't tackle like that. If he has left the ground it's a no-brainer for the referee.'

West Ham have not won any of their last five home games while winning four of their last five away and the fans vented their fury against a side who face four of the top five in their next five Barclays Premier League games, starting with the visit of Manchester United on Saturday.

Curbishley said: 'The fans are as frustrated as me. We seem to set our fans up by winning away and then come back to our place and not do it. It's not for the want of trying.

'You expect to win your home games. We've lost to top-six sides — but it's the other games, the draws against Bolton and Wigan, where we should have got the three points.'

Curbishley said: 'The players are giving their all, some of them playing out of position. I'll take the 26 points which we're on at the moment.'

The fans weren't quite so forgiving, as Reading's rampaging frontman Dave Kitson looked in a different class to the man who is supposed to be a certainty for England when he's fully fit again, West Ham's Dean Ashton.

Although Ashton could have won it near the end with a header which struck a post, he did not show half the inventiveness and all-round ability of Kitson, about whom Coppell said: 'He's got qualities which you admire in players.

'For such a tall fellow he is so adept on the ground and he's good with his left and his right foot, excellent in the air and has physical power. I've got four really good strikers but he gives me something the other three can't.'

Despite Reading going down to 10 men, they looked the better side even after West Ham took the lead through their best player, Nobby Solano, on 42 minutes.

The Peru winger seized his chance after a Mullins through-ball bounced away from Carlton Cole.

As Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann went to ground a split second too early, Solano knocked the ball over him for his second goal of the season.

But Reading, for whom the industrious Stephen Hunt and Nicky Shorey excelled, kept plugging away and a poor clearance on the hour by the otherwise excellent Solano gave Reading the chance to equalise.

Shorey, a January transfer target for the home club, put in a short centre for Kitson, who came off the sleepy Jonathan Spector and whipped the ball into the far corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Solano was substituted for the eager Mark Noble but West Ham were too obvious and direct as they hurled themselves forward.

Although Scott Parker had an outstanding chance when he was in the clear on 90 minutes, his shot was too weak and Hahnemann went down smartly to his right to hold.

Reading may not be the prettiest side, but they give everything and redoubled their efforts after going down to 10 men.

Too many West Ham players were strolling and they had better take a look at their attitude quickly — with the likes of United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to come in their next five League games. West Ham: Green, Neill, Spector, Upson, McCartney, Solano, Parker, Mullins, Ljungberg, Cole, Ashton. Subs: Wright, Ferdinand, Pantsil, Noble, Camara.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Gunnarsson, Shorey, Hunt, Harper, Ingimarsson, Convey, Doyle, Kitson. Subs: Federici, Cisse, Lita, Bikey, Long.

Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)