Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League clash between West Ham United and Everton.
David Moyes's side joined three other teams on 30 points in the upper reaches of the division with second-half goals from Victor Anichebe and Steven Pienaar after Carlton Cole had fired the hosts in front.
However, the game was overshadowed by a string of contentious decisions from the officials. Leon Osman had a seemingly-legitimate goal ruled out, and both sides were reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances.
Find out how the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League contest between West Ham United and Everton. Team news on the way...
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen, O’Brien, Collins, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Nolan, Jarvis, O’Neil, Taylor, Cole
EVERTON: Howard, Jagielka, Distin, Heitinga, Baines, Neville, Osman, Gibson, Anichebe, Pienaar, Jelavic
So not too many surprises in today's starting XIs. The big news as far as Everton are concerned is the absence of the influential Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian, who starts a three-match suspension today, has been a revelation this season, and his absence will be a big hole to fill.
The Blues are still the favourites as far as I'm concerned. West Ham have not beaten today's opponents in the last eight attempts and have a long list of injuries to contend with. Mohamed Diame, Andy Carroll, Ricardo Vaz Te and Alou Diarra are among the notable absentees.
Pre-match quotes from both managers coming up...
David Moyes: "It will be a tough game. We've been there a few times and had some decent results so we'll be looking for more of the same. They look like a mid-table side and if I said that, Sam [Allardyce] would be delighted because when you come up the aim is to make sure you stay up. I do think they look like a team that are closer to the top end of the league rather than the bottom end."
"I think they are a model for any club," Sam Allardyce said of today's opponents Everton.
The teams are out onto the pitch now, and 'Forever Blowing Bubbles' is ringing out around the ground. A great atmosphere here at the Boleyn Ground.
The referee gets the action underway.
A bright opening from Everton as Baines and Pienaar combine down the left, as they so often do, but the midfielder overplays his pass and it goes out for a West Ham goal kick.
Gibson plays a long ball to Anichebe in the danger zone, but the forward's first touch is poor. The ball ricochets off his foot and West Ham clear the danger.
West Ham apply pressure for the first time through Kevin Nolan. He gets his head to a long ball, but there is nobody there for him to nod it down to.
CHANCE! Everton should be 1-0 up after Distin squanders a free header. The Frenchman met a sweeping cross from Baines, but headed the ball into the ground with enough force to see it bounce over the crossbar.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Baines whips in a corner and Osman heads it into the back of the net, but the linesman's flag was raised for a foul. That's a contentious decision!
The assistant felt Anichebe fouled Jaaskelainen during the build-up, but I couldn't see anything wrong with his challenge. Good header from Osman too! Plenty of power in it!
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Everton (Carlton Cole)
A blistering strike from Cole puts West Ham 1-0 up moments after Everton have one ruled out. A brilliant finish from the number nine! He got the better of Heitinga and fired across the keeper into the net. It was Noble with the assist. Good vision from him!
Although Everton will feel hard done by given that circumstances, that was a great finish from Cole. A real striker's goal.
West Ham break and earn a free kick as Jagielka pushes Jarvis to ground. Cole got away from Heitinga again during the build-up. The Dutchman is struggling to contain him!
SHOT! Pienaar with a curling effort from range! It bends deceptively on its way towards goal, but Jaaskelainen saw it early and makes the catch without too much trouble.
Moyes has a face like thunder down there on the touchline. Expect the Scot to have a few things to say about that disallowed goal in the fallout from this one!
Heitinga's failure to contain Cole is a concern for Everton. I'd say he should leave it to Distin to mark the West Ham forward.
There's some miscommunication between Cole and Nolan upfront as they both jump up for a free kick in the Everton box. It skims off Cole in the end and Howard makes an easy catch.
That Cole strike has left Everton shell-shocked. They've created very little since falling behind, but Jelavic has just ripped the West Ham defence apart with a lovely turn. The Croatian fired wide, though the flag was up in any case.
Jelavic looks annoyed after Pienaar overlooks him in favour of playing a through ball to Anichebe, who was actually in an offside position. A poor decision by the South African.
Jelavic was a snap-shot from outside the box. He didn't get much on it and if spins wide. He should have done better there!
A West Ham half-chance is stopped in its tracks as Cole handles in the Everton area following a corner. A let-off for the Toffees there I think.
Nolan edges past Heitinga in the danger zone but Everton skipper Phil Neville backpedals and comes to his rescue. A good challenge from the captain.
SHOT! Gibson's dipping free kick is tipped over the bar by Jaaskelainen. It's hard to tell whether that was intended to be a cross or a shot. The West Ham keeper made a meal of it, though. There's no reason why he couldn't have made the catch there.
Just one minute of stoppage time to be played here.
HALF-TIME: West Ham 1-0 Everton
West Ham go into the break with a 1-0 lead courtesy of Carlton Cole and they just about deserve it. Leon Osman's disallowed header at the other end will be a big talking point come the end of the game, though.
David Moyes's side have it all to do in the second half if they want to preserve their impressive record against the Hammer, but a change of tactics may be needed. Heitinga is not coping with the threat of Cole and they aren't getting enough balls in to Jelavic.
Credit to West Ham for the way they have approached the game. They have been more organised across the pitch and look the more dangerous up front.
You can read our report of the first 45 minutes here. And follow all the action from the next 45 by staying on this page.
The match is back under way!
Jelavic has been caught offside twice in the opening stages of this second half with mistimed runs.
CHANCE! Jelavic is denied an equalised thanks to a reaction save from Jaaskelainen. The ball fell invitingly for the Croatian inside the box, but the Hammers keeper got his body behind it. A striker of his calibre should really be putting those way.
Pienaar is looking lively at the moment. A deflected strike from him wins Everton a corner, but the West Ham defence have it covered.
Nolan fells Pienaar and Everton are awarded a free kick in a good position...
SHOT! Gibson curls one over the wall and it sails inches wide. I think Jaaskelainen would have gotten to that had it been on target, though.
Plenty of urgency about Everton in this second period. Another half-chance goes begging as Osman picks out Jelavic in an offside position. The striker needs to time those runs better!
SUBSTITUTION: Modibo Maiga comes on for West Ham, replacing O’Neil. That should boost the Hammers' attacking options.
CHANCE! Maiga almost makes an immediate impact, taking Cole's pass on the turn and shooting narrowly wide. The replay indicated that his effort took a deflection on the way behind, so West Ham were robbed of a corner.
Lovely build-up play from Everton as Osman, Pienaar and Baines link up, but there's nobody in the box to capitalise.
BOOKING Maiga goes into the book for bringing down Pienaar.
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Everton (Victor Anichebe)
That equaliser was coming! Osman found Pienaar on the left and the South African had all the time in the world to swing in a pin-point cross for Anichebe to head home for 1-1. A well-crafted goal!
RED CARD! Oh my word! Cole is dismissed for dangerous play on Baines. His boot was raised but there was absolutely no malice in that. Another poor decision from the referee!
I expect West Ham will appeal against that decision. Cole will receive a three-match ban now, but he was going for the ball there. He caught Baines on the arm, but the Everton man barely flinched.
GOAL! West Ham 1-2 Everton (Steven Pienaar)
Hard to tell who to credit that goal to! Osman did all the work with a mazy run into the area. He fired a low cross towards the West Ham goal where several bodies were scrambling for it. Pienaar is claiming it, but I think Matt Taylor got the final touch, but it may have gone in off Jaaskelainen.
Brilliant build-up play from Pienaar, but West Ham were unfortunate to concede in that fashion.
Everton have really made their numerical advantage count. The trio of Baines, Pienaar and Osman have dictated play in the second period.
SUBSTITUTION Promising youngster Jordan Spence comes on for West Ham in place of O'Brien as the Hammers search for an equaliser.
SHOT! Maiga nods Spence's throw on to Nolan, who takes it on the volley. That wasn't far away! Now probably isn't the best time to remind Everton fans how often they've conceded late goals this season.
SUBSTITUTION Everton make their first change as Neville makes way for Naismith. The Blues skipper recently returned from knee surgery, so Moyes isn't risking him for the full 90 minutes.
SUBSTITUTION West Ham bring on Jack Collison on for Jarvis. That is a welcome sight for the home faithful. The Welsh international has been out for some time through injury.
MISS! Jelavic misses an absolute sitter! Osman twists and turns before unleashing a strike which Jaaskelainen skills into the path of the Croatian at point-blank range, but he somehow hit the side-netting!
CHANCE! Nolan almost punishes Everton at the other end, lashing wide while under pressure from Distin.
RED CARD! And we have another controversial sending off! This time it's Everton's Gibson who gets his marching orders for going in with a high boot against Noble. I guess the referee is trying to compensate for his earlier mistake!
SUBSTITUTION Shane Duffy replaces Anichebe at the death as Everton look to hold on to their advantage with nothing left on the clock.
Full-time: West Ham 1-2 Everton
Everton come away with three points in a game where contentious dismissals will overshadow all else. Cole's wrongful sending off really spoilt this contest and Gibson's red card was just as debatable.
Be sure to check Sports Mole for all the fallout from this game, because I'm certain there will be plenty. In the meantime you can read our match report here.
That's all from me here today. Many thanks for joining us!
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
