Hammers battle to draw against Everton

WEST HAM were forced to settle for a point against Everton after an entertaining contest at Upton Park.

The home side followed up their Boxing Day win over Fulham with a solid performance against the Toffees, although they missed the chance to climb out of the bottom three; a feat that three points would have earned them.

It was the Hammers that took the lead after 15 minutes when makeshift centre-half Tony Hibbert deflected a Radoslav Kovac overhead kick into his own net. However, a flowing Everton move three minutes before the interval ended with the equaliser, Seamus Coleman converting at the back post with a neat volley from Tim Cahill's cross.

Manager Avram Grant oddly decided to make a raft of changes for the visit of the Toffees from the side that had recorded the club's first league win on the road in a season and a half.

Luis Boa Morte was preferred on the left of midfield to Junior Stanislas, while Boxing Day's two-goal hero Carlton Cole dropped to the bench, perhaps in response to the discomfort the striker seemed to demonstrate in the latter stages against Fulham. Victor Obinna, back from injury, was paired with Freddie Piquionne in attack, and the other Freddie, Sears, retained his place on the right of midfield.

Tal Ben Haim and Danny Gabbidon, the full-backs for the last few outings, were not even included in the matchday squad, with Herita Ilunga and Julien Faubert coming in in their stead.

When the game got going it was Everton that were able to string together a series of promising moves, with West Ham struggling to get a foot on the ball.

On ten minutes the visitors created their first chance; a corner was only partially dealt with by Luis Boa Morte, and Coleman did well to pick out the vacant Sylvain Distin. The defender drilled a left-foot show across the face of goal but Robert Green was not troubled by the effort.

The hosts, in much the same way as they managed against Fulham on Boxing Day, then scored with one of their first forward forays.

A Scott Parker corner was met by the head of James Tomkins, although the danger appeared to be cleared when a combination of Tim Howard and then Distin knocked the ball towards the edge of the box. However, showing rare athleticism, Kovac acrobatically launched an overhead kick back into the mix, and Hibbert inadvertently diverted the ball past his keeper and Coleman on the goal-line.

What followed was also a mirror image of proceedings at Craven Cottage, with West Ham assuming control of the game and imposing their pass-and-move football. Obinna slammed an ambitious shot against the back stantion when he should have picked out the advancing Sears, while at the other end James Tomkins did well to deflect Distin's effort over the bar.

With 11 minutes of the half to play Ilunga pulled up injured, and Jonathan Spector was brought on.

As the half entered its final phase, Everton rediscovered their passing game, and one such flowing move drew them level.

Marouane Fellaini broke out of defence and fed Steven Pienaar, who then wriggled free of the attentions from Boa Morte. The South African played a clever reverse ball in to Mikel Arteta, and the Spaniard surged forward, before finding Cahill. He looked up and picked out Coleman with a fine cross to the back post, and the young winger met it emphatically on the volley.

On the stroke of half-time Parker embarked on a typical marauding run and, with options limited, tried to chip Howard from 25 yards, but the ball fell just the wrong side of the crossbar.

It was a fair reflection on proceedings heading in to the break, and when the teams emerged, it was clear both had instructions to go and win the game.

It was that shared mentality that produced an entertaining open game in the second period.

Cole was introduced for Piquionne, who appeared to be carrying a knock, and he should really have put the Hammers ahead in the 70th minute.

Sears was released down the right flank by a raking pass from Obinna, and the youngster did brilliantly to pick out Cole at the back post with a low ball across the six yard box. But the big striker fluffed his lines, scuffing the ball wide when he should have at the very least worked the keeper.

Cahill forced Robert Green into a smart save at the other end, and Fellaini's header from a corner also tested the reactions of the England stopper.

Both managers, sensing the chance for three points, threw on more attackers in the shape of Zavon Hines for West Ham and Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford for Everton.

In stoppage time Hines had his opportunity to nick it. The ball squirmed free on the edge of the box and the young striker was always the favourite, getting there ahead of Howard, but he went to ground too easily with minimal contact, when it would certainly have been more productive to stay on his feet and have a stab at the empty goal.

A draw was arguably the right result in the end, although a win would have taken West Ham out of the bottom three.