West Ham Utd vs. Everton

The French striker - who missed the midweek Europa League defeat to Benfica with a calf problem - netted from 20 yards against the run of play on 26 minutes.

Dan Gosling added a second on 64 minutes, but West Ham - back in the bottom three - made a fight of it after Tony Hibbert's own-goal.

Gianfranco Zola's West Ham side dropped back into the relegation zone after their three-match unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt end.

The Chilean was then replaced by Alessandro Diamanti, who helped turn the game against Arsenal.

Everton also made a change on 57 minutes when Ayegbeni Yakubu came on for Saha, who appeared to be troubled by his calf.

Stanislas, from 20 yards, flashed a low drive just wide.

However, Everton snatched a second on the break after 64 minutes.

Yakubu’s pass found Gosling unmarked and after Robert Green saved his first shot the midfielder responded by finding the net.

However, a minute later West ham responded when a lofted pass fell to Stanislas, whose lobbed effort rose over Howard and Tony Hibbert, who could have cleared off the line, succeeded only in placing the ball in the roof of the net.

The West Ham faithful sensed an equaliser, with Diamanti curling a 20-yard effort just over before Hines stabbed wide after getting ahead of Yobo.

Howard saved Diamanti's free-kick and Everton held on to claim their first league win in five games. Hammers were given hope when Tony Hibbert helped Junior Stanislas' effort into his own net but a late rally failed to deliver an equaliser.

West Ham's England Under-21 forward Zavon Hines was handed a start for the injured Carlton Cole, having netted a dramatic last-minute winner against Aston Villa in midweek.

The youngster again looked lively, bursting into the left side of the penalty area, before going down under a shoulder charge from Hibbert, as referee Alan Wiley waved away the half-hearted appeals for a spot-kick.

Everton deployed five in midfield and were content to let West Ham have plenty of the ball, waiting patiently for their chance.

In the 27th minute, Matthew Upson’s failure to clear allowed Tim Cahill to feed the ball inside and Louis Saha finished well, finding the bottom left hand corner for his ninth goal of the season – and fifth in three games against West Ham.

Before the break Luis Jiménez’s free-kick was deflected high and held by Howard as West Ham laboured to equalise.

At half-time West Ham brought on Junior Stanislas, their second leading score, for Jack Collison and his first act was to win a corner. Stanislas took it, returned passes with Parker, then presented Franco with a headed chance he wasted.