West Ham 1-2 Everton: More woe for the Hammers as they slip back into the bottom three

Louis Saha and Dan Gosling gave Everton a much-needed 2-1 victory at struggling West Ham.

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.

West Ham were without both striker Carlton Cole and defender Herita Ilunga because of hamstring problems for the visit of Everton.

Manager Gianfranco Zola made another tactical change from the side which beat Aston Villa in midweek, Luis Jimenez coming in for Mark Noble, while Zavon Hines - whose last-minute goal lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone - came into the attack.

England goalkeeper Robert Green made his 100th consecutive league start.

Everton have slipped down the table following just three points from four games, and were beaten 2-0 at home by Benfica in midweek.

Midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was suspended, so John Heitinga came in - while striker Louis Saha recovered from a calf problem to start.

Former Hammers captain Lucas Neill, who left Upton Park in the summer, was on the Everton bench.

England Under-21 forward Hines looked lively, and soon burst into the left side of the penalty area, before going down under a shoulder charge from Tony 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.

However, West Ham continued to look dangerous.

On eight minutes, Julien Faubert flashed a low cross through the six-yard box following a sweeping passing move.

Everton relied on Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill to get up in support of Saha, but the visitor's final delivery was poor.

David Moyes' side forced a corner on 18 minutes, only for Dan Gosling to send the ball floating over all the blue shirts and out on the far side.

Hines continued to cause a threat down the left side, and Scott Parker almost capitalised when he got past Joseph Yobo, but then shot straight at Tim Howard.

The Everton defender then redeemed himself when coming across to cut out Parker's through-ball, which would have sent Hines clear.

Out of nothing, Everton took the lead on 26 minutes.

Cahill battled to hold the ball up on the edge of the West Ham box, before laying it back to Saha.

The French striker, 20 yards out, needed no second invitation and drilled his first-time shot low into the bottom right corner.

The goal was against the run of play, and left Upton Park in stunned silence - apart from the band of travelling Everton supporters on the far side.

West Ham, who battled back from 2-0 down to draw with Arsenal here, immediately looked to get on the offensive again.

Everton, though, had much more composure now, with Belgian midfielder Fellaini coming into the game.

The hosts were awarded a free-kick, some 22 yards out on the left, when Fellaini tripped Guillermo Franco.

Jimenez struck his effort well enough, but the it cannoned up off the wall and Howard collected comfortably.

Saha headed a corner wide as Everton came close to doubling their lead before the interval.

In stoppage time, Everton youngster Jack Rodwell was booked for trying to delay a free-kick.

West Ham made a change at the start of the second half, when Junior Stanislas replaced Jack Collison.

On 50 minutes, Fellaini was cautioned for barging over Valon Behrami.

A sweeping long ball forward from Manuel Da Costa almost fell for Jimenez in the Everton box, but he was crowded out.

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.

Stanislas, from 20 yards, flashed a low drive just wide as the Hammers stepped up a gear.

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

Cahill and Yakubu battled for possession at the edge of the penalty area, before the ball was pushed out to Gosling on the overlap down the right.

His first shot was blocked by Green, but the ball fell straight back to the Everton winger, who this time drilled it into the back of the net.

West Ham, though, hit back moments later.

Da Costa again chipped through a lovely pass over the Everton defence, which Stanislas ran onto.

The West Ham forward clipped his shot over Howard, but the ball did not appear to have enough pace to roll over the line and Tony Hibbert looked set to hack clear - only for the defender to boot the ball into his own net as Upton Park erupted.

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.

Neill replaced Gosling - and was booed by the Hammers faithful.

Howard saved Diamanti's free-kick and Everton survived a couple of scrambles in the six-yard box as the Hammers were denied a second successive dramatic finale.