West Ham	0 - 2	Everton
Booked Ljungberg 90	Half Time ( 0 - 1 )	Scorers Yakubu 45 Johnson 90  Booked Yakubu 85 Johnson 90

Everton claimed their second victory at Upton Park in the space of four days as Yakubu got on the scoresheet again as they stretched their unbeaten run to 12 games.

The visitors eventually proved too strong for the hosts but had to be patient again to open the scoring.

West Ham looked the stronger side in the opening stages and Dean Ashton beat Joseph Yobo to the ball but he saw his volley over Tim Howard narrowly miss the target.

James Collins had an excellent chance to score for the hosts when a corner found him unmarked and only seven yards out. But he sliced his shot and another West Ham chance had gone.

Surprisingly Everton created little up front, with Leon Osman’s effort over the bar one of the closest they came. That was, until Yakubu popped up to get his name on the scoresheet just before the break.

The Nigerian scored against the Hammers again this week when he headed in after good work from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta in the dying moments of the first-half. Arteta delivered a cross from the left and Cahill’s nod back to Yakubu gave the big striker a free header right in front of goal.

West Ham had plenty of chances to pull a goal back – and even take the lead – in the second-half, but failed to score each time.

Their best chances fell to Dean Ashton who volleyed wide after he tried to lift the ball over Tim Howard as he latched on to a long pass forward. And Freddie Ljungberg’s shot was blocked as the Hammers looked for revenge after being beaten in the week. Scott Parker also had an effort off-target, but it was his surging runs which gave the Hammers some hoped of getting back into the game.

Lee Carsley helped to remind West Ham of Everton’s threat when his 25-yard shot was deflected wide for a corner.

Then Alan Curbishley reverted to a 4-3-3 formation in an attempt to get the ball forward more and avoid another home defeat. Substitute Mark Noble worked his way into the Everton box, but West Ham still weren’t working effectively and he found himself without the necessary support to finish a good move against a well-organised side.

As the game wore on, it was Everton who continued to press with Osman, Carsley, Arteta and Pienaar all guilty of either wasting good chances or having them saved. And Yakubu remained a constant threat in the final third.

And their persistence eventually wore the Hammers down when they were hit on the break for Everton’s third goal. Phil Neville hit a long ball forward and Andrew Johnson sealed the win deep into injury time when he caught goalkeeper Robert Green off his line with a lofted shot.

Another disappointing defeat at home leaves West Ham in the second-half of the table. Their midweek Carling Cup exit against the Toffees doesn’t seem to have taught them anything and they will have to raise their games against the likes of these teams to finish in the top half.

The three points moves Everton into sixth, just goal difference behind their Merseyside rivals who play Manchester United on Sunday. They have played themselves into a very strong position and confidence in the team is growing all the time.


West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Noble 59), Parker, Mullins (Reid 79), Ljungberg, Ashton, Cole (Camara 46).

Subs Not Used: Wright, Spector.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Osman, Carsley, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu (Johnson 87).

Subs Not Used: Wessels, Hibbert, Gravesen, McFadden.

Att: 34,430

Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset).

By Ben Hughes