Lehmann bagged the opener midway through the first half when she slotted past goalkeeper Grace Moloney.

The Switzerland international doubled the lead when she collected a diagonal ball and fired home right-footed.

Fara Williams pulled one back with a penalty after Rakel Honnudottir was brought down by Hammers keeper Anna Moorhouse but the visitors held on.

Both of Lehmann's goals came from pinpoint assists from Korea midfielder Cho So-Hyun, first with a delicate through ball and then again with a raking cross-field pass.

Reading were playing at the Madejski Stadium for the first time this season, but it was West Ham who registered their first league win of 2019 in the new surroundings.

The hosts missed a glorious early chance through Lauren Bruton, who was unable to convert Williams' square ball across the penalty box as Moorhouse raced off her line.

Rachel Furness also had a header tipped over the crossbar when she was left unmarked at the back post from a corner.

After Williams' penalty narrowed the deficit, Bruton was again denied by some last-ditch West Ham defending as they blocked a goal-bound effort from inside the six-yard box.

Victory lifted West Ham above Reading to sixth and stretched the Royals' winless league record to five games.