West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion shared two goals and the spoils during what was a game of two halves at Upton Park this afternoon.
Slaven Bilic's men have struggled to collect positive results at home this term, but it appeared that they were going to claim what would have been just their third victory in front of their own supporters courtesy of Mauro Zarate. Yet, the half-time introduction of Rickie Lambert added fresh impetus to West Brom, who snared their 11th point on the road since the start of the campaign.
It was relatively one-way traffic during the first half as West Ham, and in particular their Argentine duo of Zarate and Manuel Lanzini, took the game to the visiting Baggies.
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Indeed, Zarate had already fired one shot into the side netting before he broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Referee Martin Atkinson decided that West Brom centre-back Gareth McAuley had fouled Diafra Sakho 20 yards out and Zarate stepped up to curl in what was his fifth goal in his last six starts with the resultant free kick.
Both the goalscorer and Lanzini then called away goalkeeper Boaz Myhill into action in quick succession, while Cheikhou Kouyate was unable to keep his headed effort from Aaron Cresswell's cross on target.
Seemingly disappointed with his side's failure to make any real impact on proceedings during the opening 45 minutes, West Brom manager Tony Pulis introduced Lambert into the action at the expense of the ineffective Stephane Sessegnon during the interval and the summer signing from Liverpool made an almost immediate impact.
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Darren Fletcher won back possession deep inside West Ham territory and the captain picked out the substitute inside the box. Lambert's shot looked to be going wide of Adrian's goal, but West Ham's Spanish goalkeeper was beaten by a deflection off the arm of defender Winston Reid.
The equaliser sparked a period of domination from Pulis's men, who looked certain to score a second goal when Fletcher floated over a cross for club-record signing Salomon Rondon in the 62nd minute. All three of the Venezuelan's Premier League goals since his arrival from Zenit St Peterseburg have been scored with his head, but on this occasion the centre-forward was denied at point-blank range by Adrian.
As the game drew to a close West Ham pushed forward in search of a winning goal, yet they were unable to ask any serious questions of Myhill, who was protected by Jonas Olsson's sliding challenge on Sakho, while Chelsea loanee Victor Moses sent a volley skidding just wide in the final minute.
Nevertheless, the point has still elevated the East Londoners above Everton and into seventh position, while West Brom remain 13th.
Liam Apicella
