Lukaku again shows his worth

Everton 1 West Ham 0

Gareth Barry was his usual steady self and Gerard Deulofeu was Everton’s brightest attacking influence before a third loanee, Romelu Lukaku, came on to score the winner to keep Martinez’s side nine points off the top four. Barry has enjoyed his year at Goodison Park and it would be a surprise if he did not stay on when his Manchester City contract ends, while, after just three league starts, Deulofeu has not done enough to be a regular back at Barcelona and is also likely to return.

But it is on-loan Chelsea forward Lukaku, 20, whose tenth goal of the campaign made him just the second Everton player to get into double figures for league goals in the last six seasons, that will undoubtedly be missed the most if he is not on Merseyside next season.

Martinez maintains that tying Lukaku down is not a priority but, no matter what the Spaniard says, somehow closing the gap to the Champions League spots is likely to be the only hope of retaining him.

Everton have too much quality to be sucked into the kind of trouble West Brom, who were helped into mid-table thanks to 17 Lukaku goals last season, have experienced without the forward.

But a run of three defeats in four league games, including the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool where Lukaku injured his knee, has offered a glimpse of what life would be like without him.

It was the case once again on Saturday when the youngster started on the bench after struggling with a bug in the build-up to the game.

There was no Lacina Traore, the bizarre loan signing from Monaco who has been plagued by hamstring injuries, so Steven Naismith led the line with Leon Osman in support. Steven Pienaar had an effort prodded onto the post but it was all pretty directionless until Lukaku came on to turn in from a Leighton Baines cross with nine minutes left to make it 10 points that have come as a direct consequence of his goals.

Martinez remains realistic about Lukaku’s situation and said: “Chelsea will have a big say with what they want to do. There are many factors in where he is going next season but we would like to keep Romelu for a longer period.

“But it is not a time to think about that. Sticking it in the back of the net is essential. That was why we dropped important points. Romelu has been influential in that respect but I am not thinking about the future. If you haven’t got Romelu you need to find other options but nobody can do what Romelu does.”

Lukaku himself maintains that the Champions League is not out of reach and said: “We have to be realistic. Top four is the aim and we have to keep winning.”

After failing to sign Lukaku himself last summer, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was left to rue the influence of the striker, who also came off the bench to earn a 3-2 win at Upton Park in September, once again.

With no game for two weeks he will organise a practice match to help build Andy Carroll’s fitness and he said: “Andy’s been constant in training terms and it’s match fitness that he needs to finish off what we need to do.”

EVERTON: Howard 7; Coleman 6, Stones 7, Distin 7, Baines 8; McCarthy 8, Barry 7; Deulofeu 7 (McGeady 73, 6), Osman 6 (Lukaku 59, 7), Pienaar 7; Naismith 6 (Barkley 85, 6).

WEST HAM: Adrian 7; Demel 5 (Reid 80, 6), Tomkins 6, Collins 7, McCartney 7; Jarvis 6 (Diame 64, 7), Noble 7, Taylor 6, Downing 6; Nolan 7; C Cole 6 (Carroll 28, 6).

Referee: Jon Moss (West Yorkshire)