Unstuck against the Toffees

THE wind howled through Goodison Park on Saturday, but it was not the wind of change, as West Ham crashed to their ninth consecutive defeat on the road this season.

The Hammers have failed to score for more than ten hours of away Premiership football and boss Alan Pardew was left scratching his head as his side rained 14 shots on goal, with a total of 12 corners in the first half alone, on yet another frustrating afternoon.

He said: "All you can do is have the number of shots we've had.

"For an away team, we've peppered the target.

"The keeper has played well. He was a bit fortunate on our best chance in the first half when the ball hit him more than him saving it, but in terms of our penetration and controlling the game right up to the goal, it was very good.

"David Moyes almost apologised to me at the end because he must feel that he has got a victory out of nothing." He added: "We looked like we were going to score, but that's been the story of our season on the road. We just can't seem to get the goals that we need."

Lee Bowyer was the culprit in the 18th minute, as Carlos Tevez, who looked lively throughout the 90 minutes, beat Joleon Lescott to cut the ball back for the midfielder.

But, unmarked in the centre of the box, Bowyer could do no more than fire straight at keeper Tim Howard and the American deflected over for a corner.

Tevez twice struck well from long-range in the first half, before on 51 minutes the Toffees' Leon Osman made the difference with a chip into the top corner past Hammers keeper Robert Green's outstretched hand, after Jonathan Spector headed the ball into his path.

West Ham looked like they might get the equaliser, before substitute Javier Mascherano, looking significantly less comfortable in the Premiership than his Argentinian team-mate, gave the ball away in midfield and young James Vaughan slipped the ball under Green to secure the points in the 93rd minute.