A fortunate Everton twice came from behind to rescue a point against Avram Grant’s West Ham today at Goodison Park.
The Toffees faced a West Ham side who before the game had managed just four league victories all season, with only one coming away from home.
However, it was the Hammers who came closest to snatching victory as they produced a performance showing their mettle and willingness to work hard.
It was they who nearly opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the game as Mark Noble found himself free in the area following Scott Parker’s through ball, only to blast over from just inside the 18-yard box.
Ten minutes later, following a drab spell of play, Jermaine Beckford spurned an opportunity to open the scoring when he dithered on the ball inside the area, allowing the impressive James Tomkins to put in an important challenge.
Beckford would go on to regret his hesitance as shortly after West Ham took the lead through Jonathan Spector in the 26th minute.
Luis Boa Morte found himself in behind the Everton defence and advancing on goal, but despite a heavy first touch, he composed himself to clip the ball back to the onrushing Jonathan Spector who gleefully side footed home and gave the visitors a precious lead.
The rampant Hammers went agonisingly close to adding another in the 38th minute as Frederic Piquionne- so dominant in the air throughout the half- nodded Spector’s inviting cross onto the inside of Tim Howard’s far post before seeing it roll along the goal line and narrowly away to safety.
The travelling contingent were celebrating what they thought was a second goal in the 41st minute as Boa Morte side footed through Howard’s legs from Piquionne’s cross, only to be correctly ruled out for offside.
The home support vented their fury unreasonably at referee Peter Walton who correctly awarded West Ham a free kick. That being said, the Evertonians’ real gripe was with the players who were performing woefully. Jermaine Beckford and Victor Anichebe in particular were offering no threat up front with poor movement and poor work rate, and Seamus Coleman, being shackled well by new loan signing Wayne Bridge, was having one of his most ineffective games in a blue shirt
The second half was predictably a more lively affair with Everton applying more pressure and having prolonged spells of possession in the West Ham half. Yet the Hammers were comfortable in the most part, Everton barely testing ‘keeper Robert Green.
In the 53rd minute, the Evertonians clamoured for a penalty after Tomkins wrestled Anichebe to the ground following a challenge for a header from a cross, but Walton waved away the appeals confidently.
Everton nearly restored parity in the 57th minute when Marouane Fellaini found himself space at the back post but headed over wastefully following Leighton Baines’ free kick.
They nearly went on to rue that miss as a minute later, Spector was well placed in the Everton area but clipped the ball over the bar when he should have hit the target.
Then, as has been witnessed so many times this season by Everton fans, the Toffees conjured up a goal which set the game up for a grandstand finish.
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov had replaced Victor Anichebe and it was him that equalised in the 77th minute. Earlier in the week, following Steven Pienaar’s departure, Bilyaletdinov had placed the ball in the court of the Everton manager when stating that “it is a question for David Moyes (whether or not he will get more chances)” and he showed what all Evertonians knew he was capable of when rifling a right footed volley past Green after Fellaini’s knock down.
Bilyaletdinov volleys home the equaliser shortly after coming on as a substitute.
Minutes later Seamus Coleman squandered a glorious opportunity to surely hand Everton all three points as he volleyed over from six yards out after Green had only managed to parry Saha’s snapshot in his direction.
Everton were made to pay the full price for that miss as West Ham restored their lead in the 85th minute through Piquionne, who glanced the ball in following a delightful cross from Wayne Bridge on the right hand side.
The 32-year-old Frenchman reeled away in delight and jumped over the advertisement hoardings to join in the celebrations of the West Ham supporters who were in understandable delirium at the thought of only a second away win of the season. Having already been booked, the forward was shown a second yellow card by Walton who had his hands on the back of his head at Piquionne’s antics.
Piquionne emerges from amongst the West Ham supporters following his goal.
However, West Ham were to be denied that crucial win as Marouane Fellaini struck in added time. The Belgian international avoiding the attention of Matthew Upson and Jonathan Spector to drive a shot past the despairing Robert Green and salvage a point for Everton that was still greeted by boos from the home support at the full time whistle.
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