Everton 1 West Ham 1
Roberto Martínez gambled the house, or Everton’s transfer kitty at least, on Romelu Lukaku in the summer and the €35 million striker repaid his under-pressure manager with a precious 90th-minute equaliser to deny West Ham United victory at Goodison Park. Everton were on the brink of an eighth defeat in 10 matches when their record signing struck to give Martínez much-needed relief.
His Everton side had fought and created, and gave lie to the growing suspicion they are no longer playing for their manager. But defeat beckoned after James Collins scored with a commanding second-half header for Sam Allardyce’s team, one that would have intensified the scrutiny on Martínez after an alarming run of form. Lukaku’s eighth goal of the season earned a chance at redemption.
The visitors, with Stewart Downing dictating proceedings from central midfield, controlled possession, spread the usual jitters throughout the Everton defence, and stretched the home side frequently down the left, where Bryan Oviedo deputised for the injured Leighton Baines. Joel Robles tipped over a rising drive from Downing and saved from Matt Jarvis’s flick at the near post. Morgan Amalfitano also missed two half chances for Allardyce’s side before the interval, but without the injured Andy Carroll or Diafra Sakho in attack West Ham were unable to make their control count against a nervous Everton back-line.
It was the home side that carved open the clearer chances and had, in Lukaku, a powerful striker able to unsettle defenders and create space for others to exploit. Everton’s record signing has a decent return of seven goals this season but his influence on games has been limited in comparison to last season’s loan spell. This, however, was a reminder of the Belgium international’s importance to how Martínez wants his team to play.
Lukaku created Everton’s first opening out of nothing, turning on a Steven Naismith throw-in and testing Adrián with a bouncing shot from 18 yards that the West Ham goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt with Kevin Mirallas poised to pounce. Mirallas had a shot blocked inside the area, Naismith went close from distance, and then Everton had two opportunities to break the deadlock having sliced open the visiting rearguard.
First Ross Barkley exchanged passes with Naismith and then burst forward before delivering a fine pass into Lukaku’s stride on the left of the penalty area. The striker’s low shot beat the goalkeeper but rolled just wide of the far post. Lukaku then turned provider with a sweeping pass over the West Ham defence into Naismith, who also shot inches wide when Mirallas was perfectly placed and unmarked for the cut-back that never came.
Considering the pressure on their manager and a run of six defeats in seven matches, Everton’s first-half display was richly encouraging for Martínez. It would have been even better had Séamus Coleman connected with Mirallas’s dipping cross at the back post or Barkley had beaten Winston Reid to another Lukaku drive that cannoned off the chest of Adrián.
The teams traded shots at the start of an open second half, Mirallas lobbing over from Naismith’s flick-on and Carl Jenkinson forcing Robles to save at his near post. Downing went close with a right-footed drive that deflected out for a corner off the head of Sylvain Distin. It was returned with devastating effect for West Ham. Amalfitano crossed to the near post and Collins, having lost Distin at the start of his run from the penalty spot, arrived in between Naismith and Muhamed Besic to steer a bullet header beyond Robles.
West Ham almost doubled their advantage from another corner seconds later. This time, from the left, the visitors worked the ball short to Mark Noble who floated an inviting cross onto the head of Enner Valencia. Robles thwarted him at point-blank range.
The Everton response was led inevitably by Lukaku but, with quality in short supply around him, his tireless efforts appeared to be in vain until the 90th minute. Collins made his presence felt in the West Ham goal by clearing a Lukaku shot in front of the line and the Belgian had a goal disallowed for a push on a defender as he headed home Gareth Barry’s centre. He finally earned his merited reward when substitute Aiden McGeady released Oviedo down the left and the Costa Rican’s cross fell at his feet at the far post. Lukaku made no mistake, earning Everton and their manager a massive reprieve.
Dubliner Jay O'Shea came off the bench to help Chesterfield force a replay with Scunthorpe after a 2-2 draw at Glanford Park.
It looked a long-way back for Chesterfield in the all League One clash after goals from Alex Davey and Lyle Taylor hgave the home side a 2-0 lead at half-time.
League One top scorer and former Sligo Rovers frontman Eoin Doyle fired home a 71st minute penalty before second-half sub O’Shea earned his side a replay scoring five minutes from time.
(Guardian Service)
