Darren Randolph keeps clean sheet as West Ham win it late at Everton

The Ireland No. 1 was a late replacement for Lucasz Fabianski

West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini has a shot on goal at Goodison Park. Picture: Alex Pantling/PA

Everton 0 West Ham 1 

David Moyes denied former club Everton the chance to go within a point of neighbours Liverpool by picking up his first win at Goodison Park since his departure in 2013.

Moyes had lost each of his four previous visits to Goodison with Manchester United, Sunderland, and West Ham - with an aggregate score of 12-1 against - but took great satisfaction from ending that run by frustrating his former club's attempts to make it five League wins in a row.

A grim battle in the Premier League's first fixture of 2021 looked as if it would end in a goalless stalemate until Tomas Soucek's netted an 85th-minute winner.

Soucek tapped his fifth goal of the season into an empty net after Yerry Mina had inadvertently diverted Aaron Cresswell's shot into his path and wrong-footed keeper Jordan Pickford.

Seconds earlier Pickford had saved well from Soucek who then stayed in the penalty area to profit from Cresswell's deflected attempt.

It was a big setback for Everton who were looking to close the gap on Liverpool and start the new year as they ended the old one.

They must have fancied their chances after chalking up 26 home wins in the Premier League against West Ham - more than any other opponent - and having already beaten them 4-1 in the EFL Cup earlier this season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a hat-trick that night but he has lost his scoring touch in recent weeks. This was his sixth game without a goal and he was substituted towards the end by Carlo Ancelotti who was frustrated by his team's lack of quality in the final third.

Moyes was asked by a steward to wear his accreditation to verify who he is before kick-off.

You would think after 11 years and 518 games in charge as Everton boss between 2002 and 2013 that his face was well enough known at Goodison Park but rules are rules especially in these unprecedented times.

If anybody had forgotten who Moyes was then they would also easily want to forget a grim and uneventful first half.

Everton should have been the fresher side having had six days to recover from their win at Sheffield United - thanks to the postponement of Monday's game against Manchester City - while the Hammers had only three days to recuperate following their goalless draw at Southampton.

But Hammers had an equal share of possession in the first period when the only shot on target came in the final minute before the break when Darren Randolph - a late replacement for Lucasz Fabianski who was injured in the warm-up - tipped round Bernard's volley after the Brazilian had chested down a clearance from a corner.

Before that brief moment of entertainment neither goalkeeper had been troubled, although West Ham had threatened a couple of times, first when Sebastien Haller glanced Jarrod Bowen's corner wide and then when Aaron Cresswell's cross-cum-shot was flew just past the far post with Bowen unable to convert.

Thankfully there was more attacking urgency and threat from both teams in the second half.

Having had no saves to make for the first hour, Pickford made three in quick succession. First, he punched away a Cresswell free-kick that was heading for the top corner. Then he made comfortable save from Pablo Fornal's long-range shot before denying Michail Antonino's attempt to make an instant impact after coming on as a substitute for Haller.

Ancelotti responded to Antonio's introduction by sending on James Rodriguez and Andre Gomes to add some much-needed creativity to Everton's attack.

But it was to no avail as they found a resolute Hammers defence hard to penetrate before the impressive Soucek popped up with the decisive moment.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 6, Mina 6, Holgate 6, Godfrey 6; Davies 5, Doucoure 7; Richarlison 5, Sigurdsson 5 (Gomes 64, 6), Bernard 5 (James 64, 6); Calvert-Lewin 5 (Tosun 78, 5).

Subs not used: Olsen, Lossl, Keane, Tosun, Nkounkou, Gordon, Branthwaite.

West Ham (4-1-4-1): Randolph 6; Coufal 6, Dawson 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 6; Rice 7; Bowen 6 (Yarmolenko 72, 5), Soucek 8, Fornals 5 (Lanzini 72, 5), Benrahma 6, Haller 4 (Antonio 58, 6).

Subs not used: Martin, Balbuena, Snodgrass, Noble, Diop, Johnson.

Referee: Kevin Friend.