West Ham's Championship campaign got off to the worst possible start thanks to Kenny Miller's 90th minute winner.
Despite having controlled the game for long periods, Sam Allardyce's side failed to turn possession into goals and paid the ultimate price when Scottish international Miller made the most of an awful error by Herita Ilunga to win the game for the visitors right at the death.To say that defeat was underseved would be something of an understatement given the control West Ham had on the game. However Allardyce's team - that today featured three debutants in Nolan, Taylor and O'Brien - will have to find that cutting edge soon if they are to put together a viable challenge for promotion.
That aim will of course be helped by the arrival of the experienced John Carew from Aston Villa. However the Norwegian will not be available immediately having forgone a pre-season this summer - meaning that either Carlton Cole or Freddie Piquioone will have to step up to the plate first.
It was the Frenchman who was given the opportunity to lead the line today, but he failed to make the most of his chances - although he was extremely unlucky to see a second half effort hit the woodwork when he looked odds-on to score. Cole, a late replacement had barely any time to contribute.
The game had started so well for West Ham, who enjoyed near total domination against Cardiff in the first half of this afternoon's Championship clash. But despite creating a hatful of goalscoring opportunities, Allardyce's side somehow failed to hit the back of the net.
Piquionne squandered the first chance of the day when he opted to shoot instead of squaring the ball to new captain Nolan after just five minutes. Three minutes later, with United in the ascendency, Scott Parker also exhibited signs of ring-rustiness when he dallied having been put through on goal allowing Peter Whittingham to get a vital tackle in.
City goalkeeper David Marshall had to be at his best to deny Matt Taylor's 14th minute free kick, which was heading for the top corner. Then two minutes later he could only watch as Freddie Sears spurned United's best chance of the first half, spooning Joey O'Brien's low centre over the bar from just six yards with the goal gaping.
Don Cowie, one of eight Cardiff players making their Bluebirds debut finally forced a save out of Rob Green on 22 minutes when the England stopper - who received a rapturous welcome from home fans before the game - was forced to tip a header wide. Piquionne and Taylor both wasted chances for West Ham before Green was called into action again to palm a Whittingham free kick wide.
The second half followed much the same pattern with West Ham taking the game to the visitors who, for the most, remained content to hit on the counter. A couple of half chances for Whittingham and Robert Earnshaw at the start of the second half were the prelude to another barrage from West Ham, kick-started by Piquionne's header on 56 minutes.
Midfielder Matt Taylor - who enjoyed a promising full debut despite ending up on the losing side - switched to the right flank intermittantly and it was from one such move that a dipping drive narrowly evaded Marshall's crossbar. Seconds later Piquionne was involved again but his goal bound snap shot was blocked.
West Ham's best move of the game culminated with their best chance. Scott Parker, who had an unusually quiet game released Matt Taylor on the left as United countered. The excellent Taylor skipped away from his man, running a full 60 yards before delivering an inch perfect cross for Piquionne whose header rattled the woodwork before bouncing to safety.
Cardiff, by now beginning to sense that today might just be their day after all, began to take a few more chances. However it was the introduction of substitute Rudy Gestede with 23 minutes remaining that proved to be the real difference, as the former Metz striker set about roughing up West Ham's young central defensive pairing of James Tomkins and Winston Reid. Less than 60 seconds after his introduction, the former French under 19 international beat both to meet a cross that, unfortunately for him, he couldn't keep on target.
A minute later Tomkins found himself at the other end of the field but his header was easy enough for Marshall. With the Boleyn faithful in full voice in an attempt to lift the team, West Ham continued to create chances; both Freddie Sears and Mark Noble were denied within a minute of each other.
Kenny Miller, one of the many new signings on show had endured a tough debut and it wasn't until the 73rd minute that he first got a sight of goal, blazing a long-range effort well over the bar. That effort preceeded a flurry of substitutions that saw Carlton Cole and Jack Collison enter the fray for West Ham and Joe Mason for Cardiff.
After Anthony Gerrard had received the game's only caution on 77 minutes - in bizarre circumstances, with the yellow card awarded as a result of Carlton Cole tripping over the ball - West Ham went even closer to (finally) opening the scoring. James Tomkins, sent forward once again dived on a Noble cross but was distraught to see his goal-bound header hacked off the line.
That effort proved to be the last decent opportunity for West Ham, who by this time were showing signs of perhaps being a little out of condition, with one or two quite clearly struggling with fitness. One such player was full-back Herita Ilunga, making his first competitive start since being left out of last season's 25-man squad.
Using a Hammer to crack a nut? The result of the daft decision to close the entire Trevor Brooking Stand for the benefit of 1,250 travelling fans.
The danger signs were there when Ilunga, having undergone a marauding run into the opposition half late on in the game basically walked back into position as Cardiff countered. However his error for the winning goal - which came in injury time - was simply unforgiveable.
Having dallied with the ball on the left touchline, the Congolese international lost possession and was subsequently left for dead by substitute Gestede. The Frenchman's centre was beautifully timed for Miller who, despite not having had a sniff all afternoon, turned expertly and fired the winning goal beyond Rob Green, who may himself feel he could have done a little better with the Scottish international's effort.
Cue delirium in the away end and rumblings of 'here we go again' from the home supporters who barely had time to collect their thoughts before Howard Webb blew for full time.
All in all there was much for Sam Allardyce to be pleased with - and it was a game in which his team created more than enough chances to win. However he would perhaps do well not to accentuate those particular positives given that it is barely three months since Avram Grant last came out with that same, tired excuse having seen his team relegated from the Premier League.
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