Hammers move up table with vital win

Everton 1 West Ham 2

Alan Pardew’s West Ham sparked heady thoughts of challenging for a European place as their third away win of the season pushed them up to seventh in the Barclays Premiership, thanks to strike from Bobby Zamora.

Alan Pardew’s men are now the highest placed of the three promoted clubs, with this win hoisting last season’s Coca-Cola Championship play-off winners above Wigan.

Despite entering the campaign intent on survival, they are well placed to challenge for a UEFA Cup spot as Christmas approaches thanks to an own goal from David Weir and Zamora’s third goal in as many games.

David Moyes’ men, fresh from their creditable 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the weekend which saw them take their tally to 14 points from their previous seven league outings, were given the lead by James Beattie but rarely threatened thereafter.

It was Richard Wright – continuing to deputise for the injured Nigel Martyn - who was forced into the first save of the night as West Ham’s first purposeful surge forward brought about a fifth-minute shooting chance for Paul Konchesky.

The visitors worked the ball from right to left, leaving Konchesky the room to stride forward and hit a drive on the run, from 20 yards, which Wright held above his head.

Yet it was Everton who took an early hold on the contest thanks to some decent deliveries into the area.

Twice in quick succession James Beattie was picked out by colleagues via low crosses.

When Tony Hibbert whipped in a centre from the right, England World Cup hopeful Beattie could not wrap enough of his foot around the ball and the effort flew wide.

But after James McFadden’s positive approach saw off a weak challenge from Yossi Benayoun on the other flank, Beattie converted his third league goal of the season by powering in front of James Collins to sidefoot in from six yards.

That ninth-minute opener did not appear to deter the Londoners, however, as their intricate passing led them into some dangerous areas.

From one such position, the Hammers claimed a fortuitous 19th-minute equaliser via a Weir own goal.

Tomas Repka’s low cross evaded a number of bodies at the near post and made its way through to an unsighted Weir, whose left boot inadvertently looped the ball over Wright’s head and under the crossbar.

Fortune had certainly turned against the Blues and within a minute McFadden was forced off after a knock and replaced by Marcus Bent.

And West Ham might have made more of that swing when Zamora carved out an opportunity with a chip over the top which Carl Fletcher squandered, attempting to find a team-mate despite being through on goal.

All of Everton’s best moments involved Beattie and the former Southampton striker danced through the challenges of Fletcher and Anton Ferdinand to test Hammers goalkeeper Roy Carroll with a dipping shot from outside the area.

But the home crowd became increasingly frustrated as the game progressed and Leon Osman’s speculative effort which dribbled wide proved a rare break in West Ham domination during the opening 20 minutes of the second period.

Marlon Harewood was at the centre of the visitors’ menace, as he threatened to score three times in a handful of second-half minutes.

The initial one was all of his own making as, veering away from goal on the right-hand side of the area, he turned to unleash a drive into the side netting.

Harewood was then guilty of a glaring miss as Hayden Mullins’ hanging cross into a busy penalty area picked him out only for him to guide a free header wide.

Then, as Everton were caught on the break, the former Nottingham Forest striker failed to get on the end of a Matthew Etherington cross and was flagged offside regardless.

But from Etherington’s next meaningful contribution, however, West Ham took the lead midway through the half.

Etherington cut in from the left and although his right-foot curled shot was well kept out by Wright, Zamora stretched out a leg to convert the rebound.

Moyes reacted to going behind by throwing on Duncan Ferguson as part of a three-man attack.

And the Scot made an immediate impression, latching onto Beattie’s probing centre only for his downward header to lack power.

Another second-half substitute Mikel Arteta, back after a ban, added some attacking impetus but his deflected shot, which flew wide with quarter of an hour remaining, was the nearest Everton came to claiming a point.