Beattie earns point for Everton

West Ham 2 Everton 2

Everton’s James Beattie produced a rare magic moment in a dismal second hlf to dent West Ham’s Champions League ambitions at Upton Park.

Looking for their sixth Premiership win in a row to lift them from eighth in the table, the Hammers were in front after just 10 minutes through Marlon Harewood’s 13th goal of the campaign.

Leon Osman equalised but the Hammers went back in front with Dean Ashton’s third goal in four appearances after 23 minutes.

But the home side lost their way in a dismal second half and could not muster a third goal after Beattie had cleverly lobbed a superb effort over goalkeeper Shaka Hislop with 20 minutes left.

Knowing they needed another victory to keep up the pressure on rivals Arsenal, who carved out a 4-0 win at Fulham, and Tottenham, who play Blackburn at White Hart Lane tomorrow, West Ham sent on Bobby Zamora and Teddy Sheringham.

They played for the closing 14 minutes but never looked like breaking down the Everton defence again.

Everton had lost only two of their previous 12 games in all competitions, and although rugged determination has been one of their key assets, David Moyes saw his side earn a point here with some ambitious counter-attacking.

Indeed they could have had a late winner but for Danny Gabbidon’s heroic clearance over his own crossbar from a Mikel Arteta cross which was directed towards the attacking full-back Nuno Valente.

West Ham looked jittery at the back and were lucky not to be trailing in the opening minutes.

Hislop was relieved to see James McFadden’s deflected shot go out for a corner from which Valente headed an inviting chance over the bar.

The home side shook off their nerves and with just 10 minutes on the clock Harewood struck emphatically, firing home from the edge of the penalty area from Yossi Benayoun’s pass.

The lead was short-lived however, despite some slick attacking raids led by skipper Nigel Reo-Coker, winger Matthew Etherington and the industrious Hayden Mullins.

Full-back Lionel Scaloni was twice just too high with long-range drives before Arteta’s pass perfectly set up Osman to blast a low drive beyond Hislop for an 18th-minute equaliser which Everton deserved.