Hammers' dire home form continues - report

West Ham 0 Everton 1

West Ham’s miserable home form continued as Lee Carsley popped up to score the goal which condemned them to another Upton Park defeat.

Glenn Roeder’s men had lifted themselves off the bottom of the table in the past week with victories at Sunderland and Fulham.

But they just cannot seem to repeat that form in front of their own fans, and have now taken just two points from a possible 18 on home turf.

For Everton, it meant only their second away win of the season, but rounded off a memorable week in which they also ended Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run.

All the talk before kick-off was about whether or not the visitors would start with the hottest new property in English football – striker Wayne Rooney, the 17-year-old whose wonder goal finished off the Gunners last weekend.

Rooney was kept on the bench until the 65th minute, but maybe his presence was enough to distract the home defence, as Carsley struck the vital blow five minutes after the teenager’s introduction, meeting former Hammer David Unsworth’s deep cross with a powerful header which flew past David James.

The first half was a dour affair, thanks mainly to a swirling wind which made it very difficult to produce the flowing football both teams like to play.

The Hammers had a good chance after just three minutes when a cross from the left found its way to the far post. Trevor Sinclair met it on the half-volley and Richard Wright dived acrobatically to his right to push it around the post.

Paolo di Canio has given West Ham until the end of the month to offer him an extension to his contract, but so far Roeder has not committed himself as to his captain’s future. Yet it will surely be a tough decision to deny the striker the chance to finish his career at Upton Park as he continues to be the most influential player in the team, and all the best moves revolved around him.

Yet it was James, who is hoping to be the man who replaces David Seaman in goal for England, who pulled off an important save of the match after 27 minutes.

Ian Pearce failed to cut out a pass into the path of Kevin Campbell, and the Everton skipper hit a powerful shot from eight yards. But James was off his line smartly to close down the angle with his big frame, and he blocked the effort with his chest.

West Ham hit back three minutes later when Michael Carrick teed up Scott Minto from 25 yards and, although his shot was on target, Richard Wright had his body behind it and made the save.

Di Canio’s tenacity won a free-kick on the right corner of the Everton box after 34 minutes, and when he drilled the ball into the six-yard area himself, Carsley beat Pearce to the ball with an important clearing header.

Play moved swiftly to the other end and Wright did well at his near post when Jermain Defoe cut in from the right and drilled in a low shot which the former Arsenal goalkeeper beat away.

There was a scare for West Ham two minutes before the break when Li Tie beat the offside trap and James missed his clearance, but the angle from the left was tight and the Chinese star put his cross-cum-shot beyond the far post.

The home fans thought they had finally found a goal after 58 minutes when di Canio’s near-post corner from the left was headed into the side-netting by Ian Pearce.

An even better chance fell to di Canio himself on the hour when the ball was played into his feet from the right. He tried to sweep it first time into the net, but his timing failed him and Wright made a comfortable save.

The moment most neutral fans watching on television had been waiting for came on the 64-minute mark, when Rooney came off the bench in place of Tomasz Radzinski – giving the teenager 26 minutes in which to show what the hype was all about.

Rooney had a chance to make his mark within two minutes of his introduction, when he latched on to Campbell’s nod down. He made it into the box, pursued by three defenders, and snatched at his shot which he lifted over the bar.

Had he scored, it would have been a remarkable moment for the kid who wears golden boots – and whose future appears to be paved with gold.

Perhaps all eyes were on Rooney, because West Ham were caught napping after 69 minutes and Everton took the lead.

It was Unsworth who whipped a deep cross into the box and Carsley popped up to bury a powerful header past James.

Roeder’s last throw of the die saw former Liverpool striker Titi Camara come off the bench for Minto after 82 minutes.

Camara did well with a surging run to set up Defoe with four minutes remaining but, unlike Rooney, he is one teenager struggling to find his form in front of goal and shot woefully wide.

When the final whistle sounded, there were a few boos for the home team from the frustrated fans who are still waiting to see their team record their first Premiership victory at Upton Park this season.