Pavel helps Reading to second league win of the season
The Royals had halted a run of seven defeats with a draw at home to Swansea on Boxing Day and went one better against the Hammers at the Madejski Stadium.
McDermott (pictured) had said before the game that his players would do whatever they had to do to start picking up victories.
As it turns out they had to do almost nothing to beat a lacklustre West Ham as James Collins presented Pogrebnyak with a late Christmas gift.
Collins looked to play a simple ball back to goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, but Pogrebnyak stole in to score with just five minutes on the clock.
A few tough tackles started flying in as the first half progressed, with Pogrebnyak joining West Ham's Mark Noble in referee Michael Oliver's notebook for a foul on Winston Reid.
Pogrebnyak had the ball in the back of the net again five minutes after the restart, but the Russian was flagged offside after latching onto a through ball from Mikele Leigertwood.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce introduced Jack Collison in place of the Matt Taylor with 54 minutes gone and the 24-year-old almost drew the visitors level ten minutes later, but his low shot was parried by Adam Federici.
The visitors almost fell further behind when Jem Karacan's thunderous effort was tipped onto the bar by Jaaskelainen, with Jimmy Kebe firing the rebound into the crowd.
Ricardo Vaz Te was the next player to be thrown on by Allardyce and he missed West Ham's best opening of the game, inexplicably heading Matt Jarvis' cross wide of the goal from four yards.
Pogrebnyak's fifth-minute goal was enough for the Royals to record their second league win of the season.
Reading were the only local side in action at the weekend as rain stopped play for all West Berkshire clubs.
In the Evo stik league, Thatcham’s match at home to Uxbridge as well as Hungerford’s trip to Winchester were called off.
Meanwhile in the Hellenic league, Newbury’s Premier Division fixture at Shrivenham and Lambourn’s visit to Clanfield were also waterlogged.