West Ham kept within reach of their play-off rivals after a comprehensive Coca-Cola Championship rout of Plymouth at Upton Park.

With pressure mounting on Hammers boss Alan Pardew, three bizarre goals before half-time eased his worries by giving the Hammers an unassailable lead, and two after the break sealed the points.

Marlon Harewood scored the opener from the spot after Bjarni Gudjonsson punched the ball clear in his own box, then Pilgrims keeper Luke McCormick spilled the ball in his own net to double the lead.

Centre-back Malky Mackay lobbed in the third, although he seemed shocked at the space he was afforded on the ball, and Teddy Sheringham's brace completed the rout.

Needing to close the three-point gulf between them and sixth place, Pardew's side went untroubled for large periods of the game.

In contrast, Bobby Williamson's side were woeful. Hovering above the relegation zone, the Pilgrims never looked likely to record their first win since Boxing Day.

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is Nick Chadwick's endeavour up front and the pace of his strike-partner Dexter Blackstock. Neither could muster a goal, though, as the home side took control.

The warning sign was in the 10th minute, Harewood robbing stand-in skipper Graham Coughlin but seeing his dangerous cross cut out by David Worrell.

Coughlin was deputising for suspended captain Paul Wotton, and endured a wretched afternoon.

From the resulting inswinging corner Gudjonsson needlessly handled and Harewood confidently stroked his penalty in, sending McCormick the wrong way, for his 15th of the season.

Pardew's side did not sit back and looked more incisive than the visitors, centre-back Anton Ferdinand denied a rare goal after 17 minutes when correctly flagged for offside as he followed in a fierce strike from Mark Noble.

Three minutes later Chadwick hooked over the bar from close range as the Hammers failed to deal with a corner, but the former Everton striker had little other service.

The Hammers' fortuitous second came midway through the half, with Sergei Rebrov's poor corner causing panic in the visitors' penalty area.

With no players threatening, McCormick could only fumble the set piece into his near post.

It was one of Rebrov's last contributions to the match, the Ukraine striker limped off on the half-hour mark, bringing Nigel Reo-Coker into the action.

Skipper Mackay got the third - on his 33rd birthday - after 40 minutes when he latched on to Sheringham's flick-on and lobbed McCormick.

With the points virtually safe at the break, Pardew brought on Bobby Zamora in attempt to play him into form.

But it was Sheringham who looked hungry to add to Plymouth's embarrassment, firing a free-kick from long range that McCormick had to save.

Stephen Bywater then made two stunning saves as Plymouth searched for a consolation. After 56 minutes he parried Blackstock's effort from four yards out.

Midway through the half Bywater kept out efforts from Mathias Doumbe and Blackstock in an outstanding double save.

But Sheringham finally got on the scoresheet, heading home sweetly from Carl Fletcher's cross from the right flank with 15 minutes left on the clock.

The 38-year-old scored his second of the afternoon after 81 minutes, scoring from the penalty spot at the second attempt after McCormick illegally kept out his first effort.

Reo-Coker earned the spot-kick after Doumbe brought him down when through on goal, with the centre-back dismissed for a professional foul.

Sheringham was looking for a hat-trick but his curling effort from 25 yards with two minutes remaining was just wide.