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And with the record books dictating that no side finding itself bottom on Christmas Day has ever escaped Premiership relegation, Glenn Roeder knows his team must now create history if they are to survive.
And on the quarter hour mark Hammers got their goal, their early pressure deserved when Pearce strode on to Defoe's flick on and drilled a low 15-yarder under the exposed Wanderers keeper.
Midway through the half, Henrik Pedersen's shot on the turn crashed back off David James' left hand upright and shortly afterwards the Hammers keeper produced a spectacular flying save to beat out Per Frandsen's scorching 25-yarder.
As the troubled Trotters tried to gallop back into the contest Jay-Jay Okocha's long ranger also deflected agonisingly wide and West Ham were relieved to hear the half time whistle.
Yet again, the Eastenders emerged brightly as Defoe was twice denied by Jaaskelainen early in the second half, while Carrick's scorcher was then brilliantly flicked aside.
When Sam Allardyce pitched on Ricketts, however, for Youri Djorkaeff it was to prove a telling switch.
For after 64 minutes the Bolton substitute collected Okocha's overhead return and planted the ball past the exposed James from eight yards as Hammers appealed in vain for a certain offside flag.
With a draw now back in the bag, Wanderers were in no mood to surrender and dogged defending ensured that they left Upton Park with a deserved point.