IT may have been Brian Clough's day at the City Ground, but his former side produced a performance more worthy of Robin Hood to send the Hammers home without reward.
Seemingly immune to the emotion of the occasion, Alan Pardew's side were comfortably in control until the closing stages.
But two late goals cancelled out Marlon Harewood's strike and left Forest celebrating an unlikely daylight robbery.
It was clearly a case of giving to the poor as well, with the hosts claiming their first league win of a difficult season to leave West Ham's promotion bid facing as many questions as ever.
For 80 minutes it seemed impossible that Cloughie's send-off would be marked by any success for Forest.
The Irons simply dominated the game, even if chances were at a premium. In midfield Nigel Reo-Coker and Carl Fletcher were first to every ball, while Mattie Etherington and Luke Chadwick found enough chances to run at their opponents.
The back four looked solid once again, with Stephen Bywater only making one dramatic stop from Alan Rogers early on. The only problem seemed to be carving out that big chance in front of goal.
Teddy Sheringham was a frustrated figure, at times playing on a different wavelength from his team-mates, while Marlon Harewood continues to frustrate despite his undoubted talents.
Reo-Coker had the best chance of the first half, running on to Sheringham's intelligent pass and finding himself free to shoot 12-yards from goal to the left of the box, but keeper Paul Gerrard beat the ball over the bar.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, Harewood raced on to Reo-Coker's pass, out-pacing James Perch, and launched a stinging drive from the right-hand corner of the box which fizzed into the stanchion behind the goal.
The former Forest frontman put his side ahead on 58 minutes, just as he had when the Clarets last visited the Trent.
Perch was robbed by Etherington, who galloped into the empty space and squared for Harewood to tap home from 10-yards.
Forest looked a beaten side, frankly. The return of wantaway Andy Reid was not prompting a return to form for the winless squad, while fellow rebel Marlon King came off the bench to a chorus of jeers from the home crowd.
But the former Gillingham striker began to make his peace with the home crowd by teeing up Reid for a testing long-range effort before having a go himself.
On came Steve Lomas as Hammers looked to close out the dying moments, but then it all went wrong.
On 84 minutes Eugen Bopp fed Paul Evans for a thumping 25-yard drive, which arrowed past Bywater.
And the lively King bagged a stoppage time winner, when he took Reid's pass, cut inside Malky Mackay and curled a sublime 20-yard shot which condemned Hammers to an unjust defeat.
* Full match reaction in Monday's Evening Echo
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