Carling Cup holders Manchester United were unceremoniously dumped out of this year’s competition by a bubbling West Ham side.

It was an understrength Manchester United selection. But the comprehensive nature of the defeat, their first in all competitions all season, was still a shock.

They could have gone ahead in the seventh minute but Gabriel Obertan’s right-foot shot was pushed onto the post by Hammers keeper Robert Green.

West Ham were denied an opening goal nine minutes later when Victor Obinna’s left-foot shot from the edge of the area was deflected past United keeper Tomas Kuszczak by midfielder Jonathan Spector, who was offside.

However, the Obinna/Spector combination put West Ham ahead six minutes later when former United player Spector headed home his first-ever goal in English football from the Nigerian’s cross.

Spector drove home his second on 37 minutes, after United defender Fabio da Silva slipped when trying to close him down.

Eleven minutes after the break, centre-forward Carlton Cole powerfully headed home Obinna’s left-wing cross.

And Cole grabbed his second of the night on 66 minutes, picking up Obinna’s pass with his back to goal 12 yards out before turning and directing his left-foot shot past Kuszczak’s lefr hand.