Everton v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Goodison Park
Sunday 4 April 2010
Kick-off: 4pm
Referee: Howard Webb
Final score - Everton 2-2 West Ham United
95 mins - We're into the fifth minute of stoppage time now and Da Costa keeps winning defensive headers like it is going out of fashion. After what seems like an eternity, the final whistle is blown. How important might that point be in the final analysis come 9 May? The West Ham players head across to applaud the visiting supporters, who have been absolutely superb all afternoon.
94 mins - Stanislas is the man replaced.
93 mins - The Everton physio is on to treat Jagielka. West Ham are going to bring on Danny Gabbidon for the final minute or two.
92 mins - Stanislas works well in the corner and forces a corner. Noble walks across slowly to take it. Noble's cross is headed clear to Ilan 25 yards out, but his scissor kick flies well over the top into the Park End. Jagielka needs some treatment.
91 mins - We're into the first of three minutes of added-time and Stanislas is sent clear down the right. He shoots, but his effort is blocked. Everton counter-attack. Thankfully, Baines's cross is wayward and West Ham can clear upfield.
90 mins - We're into the final minute of the 90 and Everton have a free-kick courtesy of a foul by Upson on Saha.
87 mins - GOAL! Football is a ridiculous game. Faubert romps forward and curls in a superb cross. Ilan dives full-length and heads past Howard. What a great goal!
85 mins - GOAL! How many times can this happen? Spector fails to clear his lines and Everton keep possession deep inside the West Ham half. Baines crosses and Yakubu heads into the bottom corner. Green is absolutely disgusted.
83 mins - Good delivery from Baines. The ball drops to Stanislas, who stabs it half-clear and Jagielka acrobatically volleys over the top. Everton make a second change. Jack Rodwell is on for Osman.
82 mins - Everton attack at pace down the left and Parker can only slice the ball behind for a corner. Baines to take...
81 mins - Kovac benefits from a poor first touch, winning a free-kick inside his own half.
79 mins - Close call there. Stanislas picks up the ball on the edge of the box and tries to play a one-two with Ilan, but the Brazilian's return pass is short and Everton clear for a throw. From that, Cole receives the ball and shoots left-footed, but it is too close to Howard.
78 mins - Mido is replaced by fellow transfer window signing Ilan, who joins Cole up top. Everton attack again through Saha, who finds Yakubu. He turns and curls his shot into the Gwladys Street end seats.
77 mins - Parker is some player. He drives forward again and Neville pokes the ball behind for a corner. Noble crosses and Upson is penalised for a push.
76 mins - The home fans are not exactly in awe of the referee's performance. Mr Webb gives a free-kick when Yakubu shoves Parker.
75 mins - The home side keep up the pressure, but the move is snuffed out when Kovac forces Yakubu to put the ball behind for a goal kick.
73 mins - Mido gives the ball away with a short pass that does not reach Faubert. Everton break and Upson is too cute with a pass, leading to Kovac giving away a free-kick. Parker brings the ball away but concedes a throw.
71 mins - West Ham attack through Parker, who swaps passes with a team-mate before shooting from about 35 yards. The ball skips in front of Howard, but he holds on.
70 mins - Parker concedes possession to Pienaar deep inside Everton's half. Noble tries to win the ball back and only manages to bring the South African down. Yellow card for the midfielder. Moments later, Saha goes down under a challenge from Da Costa inside the area, but referee Webb waves away the penalty claims. The home crowd do not like it one bit.
68 mins - The home fans are not happy with the time it is taking to get Cole off the pitch. After a bit of work with physio Andy Rolls, he is back on. While West Ham were down to ten, Heitinga wasted a good shooting chance.
66 mins - Cole tries to help out defensively and ends up getting himself injured. It is his right leg.
65 mins - Aaargh! Kovac wins a tackle inside his own half and releases Stanislas, who plays a brilliant through ball to Cole, only for the striker to mis-hit his shot and it dribbles agonisingly wide of the right-hand post. Everton make their first change, with Yakubu on for Bilyaletdinov. Thank goodness for that, from my point of view. His name is a bit difficult to type quickly.
63 mins - Green does well to claim a high ball above Saha's head. West Ham break and Stanislas wins a corner off Distin. Noble crosses and Da Costa wins it again, but his header lacks the pace to reach the goal and Everton clear.
60 mins - GOAL! Get in there! Da Costa had won a corner after retrieving Noble's shot. Noble's corner falls inside the six-yard box and Da Costa forces it over the line. I don't believe it!
59 mins - I don't know how much more of this I can take... Noble crosses and Da Costa wins the header. The ball flies out to Parker, who controls superbly and finds Noble. He cuts inside his marker and chips Howard, only to see the ball come out off the underside of the crossbar.
58 mins - Faubert passes to Stanislas, who turns past his marker and crosses. The ball is deflected through to Mido, who is challenged and the ball goes behind for a corner.
56 mins - Parker again leads by example, ploughing through one tackle before being felled by Cahill. The Australian points to the ball, but referee Webb books him nonetheless. Noble's free-kick is overhit and flies out for a goal kick.
55 mins - Cole is dropping very deep to get involved in the game, which is not ideal. A period of possession ends with Upson lashing an attempted pass to Stanislas out for a goal kick. Disappointing.
54 mins - Bilyaletdinov crosses from deep on the right, but his ball is just too strong for Saha, who had lost the attentions of Da Costa inside the penalty area.
53 mins - Pienaar turns away from Kovac and makes his way towards the West Ham box before shooting, but his effort is charged down by Parker before Faubert smashes the ball upfield.
52 mins - Mido heads the ball down to Cole, who spins and plays in the African, whose shot is blocked behind. Unfortunately, he was also offside. Free-kick to Everton.
51 mins - Everton really are not playing that well here. West Ham keep the ball inside the home half through Spector and Parker, but the midfielder is crowded out inside the Everton box.
49 mins - Upson punts the ball down the left touchline and Neville makes a hash of controlling the ball. Mido crosses, but the ball bounces harmlessly across Howard's six-yard box. Stanislas looks like he can make something of it, but can only poke the ball out for a throw.
48 mins - After a bit of treatment, Baines is back into the fray. Everton celebrate by going on the attack, but Da Costa snuffs out the danger by challenging Saha.
46 mins - Mido and Cole get the second half underway... Seconds later, Baines goes down near the touchline and looks in some distress. It's his right knee, I think, and he hurt it in a challenge with Faubert.
The results elsewhere could not have gone better for West Ham this weekend. If they can nick a point this afternoon, it would close the gap on the teams above them and also open a small gap on Hull City below them.
Half-time score - Everton 1-0 West Ham United
47 mins - After 73 seconds of added time, the half-time whistle is blown.
46 mins - We are going to have at least another minute...
45 mins - Osman gets past Parker and forces Spector into conceding a corner. Baines comes across to take an inswinger with his left foot. Green drops it before finally grabbing the loose ball. That was a hairy moment.
43 mins - Da Costa does well after initially losing Saha inside the penalty area, sliding in to block the Frenchman's shot. The ball rebounds back off the striker and Green plunges on it. Mido is booked for a late challenge on Pienaar.
41 mins - You have to give credit to the visiting fans, who are still singing, despite the frustration of seeing Mido miss from 12 yards. Meanwhile, Bilyaletdinov is given the time and space to shoot from 25 yards, but his effort clears the crossbar by a few yards.
37 mins - Mido hits his shot low to Howard's right and the United States international easily parries it aside for a corner. The flag-kick comes to nothing and the boos turn to cheers from the home supporters.
36 mins - The crowd get a bit excited by a series of crunching challenges in the midfield. Everton get possession but waste it and West Ham break through Mido and Parker. Cole battles with Distin as he tries to get on to Parker's through ball and goes down. To stunned silence, referee Webb awards a penalty! Distin is booked.
35 mins - Cahill cuts inside from the left and shoots low. Green watches the ball as it rolls a couple of yards wide of his post.
34 mins - It's been all too comfortable for Everton so far. Tim Howard has not had a save to make as yet. West Ham are showing signs of improvement, though, but they need to fashion a clear-cut opportunity.
30 mins - West Ham have a bit of pressure, but can't fashion a clear shooting opportunity.
29 mins - Bilyaletdinov and Neville combine well down the right before the full-back crosses. It is too close to Green, though, and the goalkeeper claims above his head.
28 mins - Parker brings the ball forward before checking back. He tries to find Mido, but his pass is wayward and easily cleaned up by Neville.
25 mins - West Ham need to hit back quickly here. Noble is fouled by Neville wide on the left. The midfielder lofts the ball in, but it comes to nothing.
24 mins - GOAL! That was poor defending. Spector heads the ball straight up in the air inside his own penalty area. Cahill wins the initial header far too easily and Bilyaletdinov nods it past Green from six yards.
22 mins - Interesting play from Parker, who is on the floor when he heads the ball to a team-mate! He is nothing if not brave.
21 mins - Good from Cole, who takes a pass from Mido before spinning away from his marker and bursting forward. He has only Distin to beat, but the Frenchman shows good strength to crowd out the England forward.
19 mins - That was a shot on goal, I think. Cole wins a flick on and Mido stretches his leg between Jagielka and Distin to poke the ball goalwards, where Howard collects with ease. Moments later, Cole lays the ball off to his partner, but the Egyptian's shot is blocked.
18 mins - Referee Webb takes an age sorting out the defensive wall, and Mido gets an ironic cheer when he falls over. After about a minute of messing about, Saha blasts his shot miles wide.
16 mins - Parker slides in on Cahill, much to the chagrin of the home fans and players. Parker is booked, and now receives a two-match ban as that is his tenth yellow card of the season. Everton have another free-kick in a dangerous area.
15 mins - Everton are seeing much more of the ball in the opening stages. Parker is forced to make a sliding challenge to deny Osman on the edge of the box.
14 mins - Baines shoots and the wall charges his shot down through Parker.
13 mins - Da Costa barges into Cahill and concedes a free-kick about 28 yards out. Pienaar and Baines show an interest...
12 mins - West Ham are working hard in midfield to stifle their hosts, and Everton's home crowd are already getting a bit restless. Cole goes down under a challenge and rubs his left leg. It doesn't look too serious. Mido makes use of the break in play to get a quick drink and have a chat with manager Zola.
10 mins - Noble crosses and the ball is headed out to Stanislas, whose shot is blocked behind for another corner. Everton again head the ball clear and it falls to Parker, who takes a touch before firing wide with his left foot. Ambitious from the Hammer of the Year, but you don't score if you don't shoot!
9 mins - Parker wins possession again and feeds Stanislas, whose cross towards Cole is headed behind for a corner by Jagielka.
8 mins - Scott Parker goes in hard but fairly on Heitinga. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Upson's tackle on Osman, which gives away a free-kick.
6 mins - Everton have a good spell of possession. Baines clips the ball over and Spector heads it straight to Bilyaletdinov. The Russian is caught by Mark Noble and goes to ground, but he is quickly up again to take a pass from Leon Osman. However, his cross is high and too close to Green, who catches above his head.
5 mins - Distin tries a long ball to Pienaar, but it skips off the turf and safely behind for a goal kick.
3 mins - Matthew Upson fouls Saha wide on the right. Bilyaletdinov curls it in and Faubert clears to Stanislas, but Cole is offside as runs to receive the winger's pass.
2 mins - Cole brings down a high ball well and plays the ball to Kovac, but his attempted through ball to Stanislas is too strong and rolls through to Tim Howard.
1 min - Everton win a couple of throw-ins down the right, but West Ham clear up the danger through Robert Green.
4.01pm - After a short delay, Louis Saha and Tim Cahill get us off and running...
3.59pm - The mascots are having their pictures taken with the officials and two captains. West Ham will kick towards the Gwladys Street end of the stadium in the first half. Everton will get us underway...
3.56pm - As you may know, Valon Behrami has been injured in the warm-up and will not be starting this afternoon. His place has gone to Junior Stanislas, Josh Payne will take Stanislas's place on the bench. Here come the players...
3.55pm - Victory today would take West Ham three points clear of the relegation zone and within two points of both Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of next Saturday's home game against Sunderland. Suffice to say, a win would be most welcome.
3.52pm - Former Everton defender Pat van den Hauwe is introduced to the fans. The full-back was part of the Toffees' glory days in the 1980s, when they won the league title, the FA Cup in 1984 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985. Van den Hauwe parades the league championship trophy and Cup Winners' Cup around the pitch.
3.50pm - For the stattos among us, this is Carlton Cole's 100th league appearance for the club. Seventy three have been starts, added to 27 appearances off the bench. Cole made his debut in a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic on 19 August 2006, scoring moments after coming on as an 89th-minute replacement for Marlon Harewood. Since his arrival at the Boleyn Ground, the 26-year-old has also become a full England international, of course, and has gone on to score 25 league goals. A 26th would go down extremely well this afternoon.
3.45pm - I always thought Everton's main mascot was the Toffee Girl, but there is a large grey elephant in an Everton home kit patrolling the touchline near the entrance to the tunnel. I am pleased to announce that the Toffee Girl is doing her thing, too, lobbing sweets to grateful fans. It's great to see the old traditions of the game surviving. Goodison Park is a proper old-fashioned stadium - I am sitting on a wooden seat, for starters! Of course, there are suggestions that the Toffees want to move to a new stadium, possibly in nearby Kirkby, but for now, Goodison remains their home of 118 years. On the pitch, a chap called Adam has just proposed to his girlfriend Clare, and she said 'Yes'. How romantic!
3.40pm - Wandering through Liverpool city centre earlier today, our Joint-Chairmen will be delighted to hear that Ann Summers was doing a roaring trade in the plush Liverpool One shopping centre. The chain was, of course, subject to an April Fool's Day joke in the week, when an image of what purported to be next season's home shirt was released, complete with pink flashes and 'Ann Summers' emblazoned across the chest as the sponsor.
3.35pm - I am not sure what the weather has been like down in the South East today, but it is absolutely gorgeous here on Merseyside. The wind is blowing in off the River Mersey, but there are just a few wispy white clouds punctuating the light blue sky. On the side of the pitch, a man dressed as a cigarette is walking round waving a slightly smaller three-foot long cigarette in the air. This is all part of the Premier League Health anti-smoking campaign.
3.30pm - West Ham will be wearing their home shirts this afternoon, complete with light blue shorts, so as not to clash with Everton's white. I can reveal that the club's kit manager, Bob Oteng, thought long and hard about whether to wear light blue or claret shorts this afternoon, especially with the game being screened live on television. Claret socks are also the order of the day for the Hammers.
Good afternoon and welcome to a bright, sunny and blustery Goodison Park here in Liverpool.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has made one change from last Saturday's defeat by Stoke City for today's vital visit to Everton, with the injured Kieron Dyer being replaced by Radoslav Kovac.
The Czech will play in the centre of a four-man midfield, with Mark Noble moving to the right side and Mido partnering Carlton Cole - making his 100th league appearance for the club - up front.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, Pienaar, Osman (Rodwell 83), Bilyaletdinov (Yakubu 65), Heitinga, Cahill, Saha
Subs: Turner, Hibbert, Senderos, Duffy, Wallace
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Spector, Noble, Kovac, Parker, Stanislas (Gabbidon 90), Mido (Ilan 78), Cole
Subs: Kurucz, Daprela, Spence, Payne, McCarthy