England defender Ugo Ehiogu scored a vital goal two minutes from time to salvage a point for Middlesbrough against bottom club West Ham.
Boro maintained their unbeaten home record but this was a very scrappy performance from Steve McClaren's team.
Ehiogu powered home his third goal of the season with a towering header as the Hammers defence stood like statues.
It was cruel blow for the Londoners, however, who deserved to take all three points after a bold attacking line-up from under-fire Hammers boss Glenn Roeder.
His team matched his decision making with an inspired performance, again using Ian Pearce as a makeshift striker.
It looked to have paid off when Pearce smashed home his side's second goal 13 minutes from time. Pearce pounced on Jermain Defoe's deflected shot to beat Mark Schwarzer from close range.
It looked good enough to win the game until Ehiogu's leveller.
Always the more enterprising, West Ham stunned Boro by taking the lead just seconds after the restart.
England international Joe Cole conjured a goal out of nothing when he drove the ball in off the far post to leave Mark Schwarzer hopelessly beaten.
Szilard Nemeth, a half-time replacement for Tony Vidmar, justified his inclusion with a lively display. He sparked life into a lacklustre Boro forward line, where Massimo Maccarone is struggling to live up to his £8million price tag.
Nemeth cancelled out Cole's opener when he struck his fourth goal of the season on 58 minutes. After delightful link-up play with Alen Boksic, he drilled the ball into the far corner.
Maccarone was gifted the chance to grab his first goal since the end of September when a superb cross from Boksic foxed the Hammers defence, but the out of touch Italian flashed his header wide.
Far from sitting back and holding on for a point West Ham continued to attack and they deservedly regained the lead through Pearce, only for Ehiogu to level the scores from Geremi's corner.