Martijn Reuser has made a habit of scoring important goals for Ipswich since his arrival at Portman Road last March, and his 61st-minute strike which did for West Ham at Upton Park today could prove to be the most lucrative of the lot.

Dutchman Reuser curled a low free-kick past Hammers goalkeeper Shaka Hislop from the edge of the box to keep well and truly alive the unlikeliest of challenges for the Champions League.

The home side, whose season is now threatening to ebb away into nothingness after Sunday's FA Cup loss to Tottenham effectively left it devoid of all meaning, should have been better prepared when Reuser stepped up to take the kick after Stuart Pearce had fouled Marcus Stewart.

Reuser's goal exacted rich justice as Pearce had appeared to clearly foul Stewart well inside the box.

The Hammers will have witnessed on television Reuser's super double which earned his side a come-from-behind win over Bradford last month, and the chances are they were watching too when he netted one of the play-off final goals in May which set up the self proclaimed Tractor Boys' amazing charge.

Reuser forced Hislop into a fine diving save moments later then set up a chance which ended in Jermaine Wright lashing a shot across the face of goal, and when he was substituted for Jamie Clapham 12 minutes from time his damage had been done.

The Hammers, who have now suffered four consecutive defeats, were simply dreadful and never threatened to get back into the match.

Of more pressing concern than their form, perhaps, was the half-time substitution of Joe Cole, one of their few creative influences today, for no obvious reason. Sven-Goran Eriksson, denied Cole through injury against Spain and due to name his next England squad tomorrow, was holding his breath.

Harry Redknapp had stressed in his programme notes that his side's season was far from over, their goal a top-half finish for the fourth consecutive season.

But it was clear that Sunday's 3-2 loss to Tottenham was weighing heavily on the minds of the home side, who started dreadfully and got worse as the match wore on, failing to fashion a single shot on target in the second half.

Their frustration was shown by Di Canio, tackled in the box by Fabian Wilnis five minutes from time, and who reacted to the awarding of a West Ham corner rather than a penalty by attacking one of the goalposts.

The Hammers' best chances in an instantly forgettable first half were provided via the long-range set-pieces of their veteran defender Pearce - none of which troubled visiting keeper Richard Wright.

Pearce's fourth-minute corner from the left caught a gust of wind and landed on top of Wright's crossbar, and his powerful 30-yard free-kick just before the half-hour was hit straight at the goalkeeper. West Ham were wasteful in the extreme, with Di Canio, Michael Carrick and goalkeeper Hislop, through his askew goal-kicks, the main culprits.

Ipswich's far more calm, measured approach ought to have paid dividends, none more so than in the eighth minute when top scorer Stewart, back from suspension, miskicked in front of goal from Reuser's accurate left-wing cross.

And the Hammers had a lucky escape four minutes later when Hislop scooped up a Pearce back-pass and from the resulting free-kick, a mere six yards from goal, Matt Holland whacked his shot straight at Nigel Winterburn.

But Ipswich were largely lacking the incisive final ball and they too sought solace from long-range, Jermaine Wright twice trying his luck from 30 yards and coming closest on the stroke of half-time when his looping effort flashed narrowly wide of Hislop's right-hand post.

In the end it was academic, the final minutes played out in front of the increasingly empty home stands. While Ipswich chase the European Cup, West Ham's season has gone to pot.

Teams

West Ham: Hislop, Stuart Pearce, Ian Pearce, Schemmel (Moncur 45), Winterburn, Song, Cole (Todorov 45), Carrick, Lampard, Di Canio, Kanoute.

Subs Not Used: Bywater, Soma, Foxe.

Ipswich Richard Wright, Wilnis, McGreal, Hreidarsson, Makin, Magilton, Holland, Jermaine Wright, Stewart (Burchill 89), Armstrong, Reuser (Clapham 75).

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Venus, Abidallah.

Goals: Reuser 60.

Att: 26,046

Ref: M Dean (The Wirral).