West Ham 1, Everton 3: Saha looking like a bigger bargain
Nov 8 2008 By Dominic King at Upton Park
He was caught flat-footed by one twisting and turning run from the Welshman after 31 minutes but was left to breathe a sigh of relief as, rather than shoot himself, Bellamy passed to Freddie Sears, whose effort was tipped onto the bar by Howard.
The American international will find out on Tuesday night whether he has been named his country’s Player of the Year and, using this game as a gauge, his coronation should be a formality as he came to Everton’s rescue again just before half-time.
Sears once again skipped clear of the Blues’ static defence and looked destined to put the Hammers one up but Howard got down superbly to tip the forward’s shot around the post. It proved to be the last action of the first period.
Going in for break looked as if it had done Everton some good, as they made a bright start to the second period and came close to poking their noses in front when Rodwell rose to nod a Mikel Arteta corner just wide.
However, they were on the back foot soon after that and West Ham took the lead with a superb goal, Collison curling an unstoppable shot past Howard after he had been teed up Parker’s terrific back heel following good work by Bellamy, Matthew Etherington.
Quite simply, it was nothing more than the home side - who had dominated throughout - deserved but there was always the suspicion they would pay for failing to wrap up the contest and so it proved in spectacular fashion.
Sensing West Ham’s anxiety, Everton threw caution to the wind and got a foothold back in the game when Saha engineered some room on the right flank and his cross was headed in by Lescott.
But they were not done with and, in the next attack, Saha swept an Anichebe cross beyond Robert Green to spark pandemonium in the visiting section and clinch the three points.
Still, though, they were not done with. Bewildered by what had happened, West Ham’s defenders was at sixes and sevens and, as Everton went forward, they gave Saha too much room to shoot on the edge of the box.
Predictably, given the way the game had gone, it nestled in the bottom corner of Green’s goal to put the gloss on an astonishing turn around.
WEST HAM UNITED (4-4-2): Green; Neill, Collins, Upson (Collison 18), Ilunga; Faubert, Parker (Di Michele , Bowyer, Boa Morte (Etherington 57) ; Bellamy, Sears.
Goals - Collison (63)
Bookings - Hetherington (80)
EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard; Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott; Arteta, Rodwell (Vaughan 65), Cahill, Osman; Saha (Hibbert 90), Anichebe (Baines 86).
Goals - Lescott (83), Saha (85, 87)
Bookings - Lescott (69)
Referee - Mark Halsey
Attendance - 33,961
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