Sam Allardyce admitted West Ham got lucky on their way to the top of the npower Championship.
Two controversial Mark Noble penalties were enough to sink Nottingham Forest 2-1 and send the Hammers above Southampton, who do not play until Monday.
The pre-season promotion favourites are now at the summit for the first time this term but they got a helping hand from referee Tony Bates and his eagle-eyed assistants.
Bates harshly adjudged Guy Moussi to have handled a Jack Collison cross from point-blank range in first-half stoppage time, and then penalised Chris Gunter for handball after an hour.
Upton Park boss Allardyce said: "We went ahead through probably quite a fortunate penalty, but you have to be professional and dispose of it when you get the opportunity.
"It was not the best of days but when you can dig a win out it shows the resilience of the players.
"As much as we are disappointed with our performance we are delighted with three points. It brings us to three wins on the trot and keeps up our winning streak.
"We can look at the table and see we are three points ahead of Southampton, which is where we want to be."
Forest manager Steve Cotterill was, predictably, unimpressed with the penalty decisions which enabled Noble to take his tally for the season to six.
It was all the more frustrating for Cotterill as his side had looked by far the more likely to open the scoring against a strangely subdued West Ham.
Paul Anderson missed their best chance when he failed to connect with Lewis McGugan's cross with the goal gaping.
"It probably sums up how it's been since I've been here, we could have been two or three up before the alleged penalty was given," he said.
"It's blatantly not a penalty.
"I can see why he has given the second one, Gunter's arm is up, but it must have hit the hairs on his arm because the ball doesn't deviate.
"The linesman has done well to see that one, for sure."
Forest's endeavour was eventually rewarded by a superb 30-yard consolation from McGugan, which came deep into stoppage time.
But it is Allardyce who still needs a goalscorer urgently, with Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic his latest target.
"We have enquired in terms of his availability as far as I am concerned, but in terms of a bid that's not my department," he added.
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