Match Report Everton threw away another precious lead and ended up coming away completely empty handed as West Ham struck twice in stoppage time to extend the Blues’ winless run to 10 matches and keep them mired in the battle to avoid relegation near the bottom. Sean Dyche’s men led for six second-half minutes after Beto notched only his second Premier League goal at the second attempt, atoning for failing to score from the penalty spot at the end of the first period by converting James Garner’s cross in the 56th minute, but were pegged back by a Kurt Zouma header off a corner. Everton, who had their chances to have had the contest won before those calamitous few stoppage-time minutes at the end, probably should have been 2-0 up by that point but Alphonse Areola, turning in a man-of-the-match display, saved from Dwight McNeil at point-blank range and Tomas Soucek later cleared off his goal line before scoring what proved to be the winner at the other end. Though Dominic Calvert-Lewin has a decent scoring record against the Hammers, his goal drought that stretches all the way back to the last time these two sides met back in October prompted Dyche to start Beto up front and the Portuguese had the better chances to open the scoring in what was a poor first 45 minutes from both teams. Strong work by Amadou Onana, restored to the starting XI in central midfield, gave him his first sight of goal from 20-odd yards but he drove well off target and he should have done much better with the best chance of the half from open play with 24 minutes gone. Dwight McNeil threaded him in with perfect ball between two West Ham defenders but, having dug the ball out from under his foot, Beto scuffed a shot that Areola was able to save at close quarters. He was gifted the opportunity to send Everton into the break a goal up, however, when Zouma was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area and, having been sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Tony Harrington, referee Craig Pawsonn pointed to the spot. Unfortunately, Areola went the right way and palmed Beto's effort from 12 yards out away to safety from West Ham's point of view. Everton had been the stronger side in the first half but their attacking failings had repeatedly undermined their efforts to take the lead. That changed early in the second half, though, first when McNeil tested Areola with an excellent half-volley that the keeper parried away and then when Garner and Beto combined to break the deadlock. The midfielder advanced down the right flank and curled a magnificent cross into the box where Beto managed to guide it home with a thumping header to make it 1-0. The Toffees under Dyche had made a habit of going ahead and successfully seeing matches out earlier in his tenure but management of games from winning positions has become a challenge of late, and so it proved again today as the hosts allowed the game to open up from that point on. This match pivoted crucially on a moment in the 59th minute when Jack Harrison collected a pass into the Hammers' box by McNeil, held it up to cut back on his left foot and chip it into the six-yard box where the Blues' No.7 simply had to steer a volley either side of the keeper to double the lead. Areola did well to scramble across his goal, though, and was there to save from McNeil and, after a Mohammed Kudus shot had deflected behind off James Tarkowski's heel, Everton conceded only their second headed goal of the season and a second from a set-piece in as many weeks. Zouma easily rose higher than Ben Godfrey to meet James Ward-Prowse's corner and despatched a glancing header above Garner on the line and into the top corner. Both sides had chances to retake the lead in normal time, with Areola pushing away another good effort from McNeil, this time a rasping effort from 30 yards out and the Hammers' keeper doing really well to readjust his feet to bat a deflected Beto shot behind to prevent it spinning into the far corner. From that corner, Abdoulaye Doucouré almost bundled home at the back post with Areola nowhere but Soucek smuggled it away from the line at the near post while, back at the other end, Everton twice played themselves into trouble by giving the ball away but Lucas Paquetá couldn't put a header on target in the 65th minute and Jordan Pickford did brilliantly to deny Kudus following Tarkowski's error. Doucouré, Everton's best player on the day, scampered down the left flank with a quarter of an hour to go and centred looking for Calvert-Lewin, now on for Beto, but Areola denied him with a flying one-handed interception and Godfrey slashed the rebound well off target before McNeil played the striker in but Areola was there again to make himself big and make the stop. Urgently seeking a first win since mid-December, Everton were hoping to press for a winner in five minutes of injury time but ended up being undone in the first added minute. Kudus was afforded too much space down the West Ham left to cut a deep cross back towards Soucek who was afforded time by Vitalii Mykolenko to bring it down smartly before bending an impressive shot around Pickford and into the far side of the goal with the outside of his boot. Goodison was stunned into silence and it got worse as the Blues pressed desparately for an equaliser in the dying minutes. Frustratingly, Garner failed to beat the first man with a promising situation from a corner and, having been allowed a second bite at it by the referee when he awarded the set-piece to be retaken, repeated the depressing feat with his second delivery. West Ham surged away on the counter with substitute André Gomes out-numbered in retreat and when Edson Alvarez was played into a one-on-one with Pickford, he deftly lofted it over the keeper to seal the victory for the away side in a rapidly-emptying Goodison Park. Those Evertonians who remained booed the players off at the final whistle before trudging away in the rain to contemplate more dropped points and the prospect of another fraught run-in to the end of the season. Dyche will, no doubt, fall back on his lament at the start of the season, pointing at the chances his side had to win the game but which they ultimately squandered. The fact remains, though, that West Ham were poor and while Everton were the dominant side, they were too often frustratingly inept going forward. Ironically, the team that Dyche quipped had forgotten how to win while he was manager at Burnley, is now afflicted with the same dangerous problem under his stewardship at Goodison Park. Things don't get any easier next week with a trip to Old Trafford where no Everton side has won in 11 years and unless they can start winning matches, their Premier League fate will continue to hang in the balance. Lyndon Lloyd top Matchday Updates Everton gave up the lead and then two shocking goals in added time to give West Ham United a thoroughly undeserved massive win at Goodison Park. Everton made two changes as Onana and Beto came in for Gana, who failed a late fitness test with a groin injury, and Calvert-Lewin, dropped to the relatively strong bench, with Dobbin returning. James Garner kicked things off with the Pickford hoofball straight in, Beto's arm in the face of Paquetá. Godfrey did better with a great ball down the right wing but Garner could not reach Doucoure with his pass. More decent right-fank passing found Beto but Harrison's cross was blocked. Everton re-treated for some unconvincing, if not downright dangerous playing out from the back that lost possession. But it was regained and taken up to Beto who shot well wide from a long way out. Beto then did well to get off a cross that was inches away from Doucoure. Onana was next to test Areola with a deep cross. Tarkowski's deep crossfield ball was very wayward. Branthwaite had to get across and clear but West Ham found Alvarez who tested Pickford with a decent strike. Everton tried the fast outball down the left, which Mykolenko brought down well but he could not find a blue shirt. West Ham countered to win a corner off Harrison. It was a bit different and needed a decisive block before it was eventually cleared. Everton then conceded a really poor corner with a dreadful backpass, Paqeta getting in behind McNeil but crossing too deep. Everton got really sloppy in midfield and Godfrey had to concede another corner. Mavropanos ducked as he headed it off his shoulder and just wide of the far post. But it was worrying that West Ham were now seeing far more of the ball and the blue shirts were no longer getting far beyond the half-way line. They reverted to the long ball and at least had some play upfield, a cross punched out to Mykolenko whose volley was wild, as Doucoure was called for clattering Areola. More advanced play ended with Onana shooting from way too far out, his effort blocked. Tarkowski got the ball through to McNeil who found Beto in tremendous space but his effort was so low on quality, Areola had no trouble falling on the ball. But a foul saw a set-piece chance that caused some havoc in the Hammers area but no clear chance. Godfrey did a tremendous job to stall Emerson, who then needed treatment. Harrison tried to get the ball forward for Beto but Areola was out very quickly to intercept. McNeil's cross was deflected into the side-netting, giving Everton their first corner, delivered to a crowd at the far post and defended for a quick West Ham counter that was well stalled. Everton stumbled forward erratically and it was Mykolenko's turn to try and shoot from well outside the area, to no avail. Wet Ha resumed their attack and that was stopped, Everton moving upfield again to win another corner. Garner's delivery evaded Areola but another defender cleared it and they tried to counter again but so far it was something of an equal stalemate. Branthwaite's forward pass was too easy for Kudus to intercept and it almost led to another corner, Mykolnko getting a goal-kick off Coufal. Garner blocked Kudus for a central free-kick that Pickford launched back upfield for Beto and there was an almighty shout for handball by Zouma — he clearly lifted his arm to stop the ball. What would Pawson think, looking at the monitor...??? Penalty! Everton's first of the season, with no Ca;vert-Lewin on the field. Chance for his stand-in Beto: a dreadful attempt after a long, long pause, slow, to Areola's left, and easily stopped. His saved was reviewed by the VAR but there was nothing wrong with it. In fact, it looked even worse by Beto on replay… What an absolutely pathetic effort! There were 4 minutes added on but they just served to intensify the feeling of maddening frustration at Everton's shockingly poor quality on the ball going forward. Thankfully, West Ham weren't much better, and thus finished another pretty dreadful half of so-called Premier League football at Goodison Park. Calvert-Lewin on then at half-time? Don't be silly, this is Dyche in charge and Bumbling Beto continues his comical 'cameo'. He tried to feed The ball forward but Mykolenko and McNeil contrived to let it go for a goal-kick. McNeil at least produced a decent shot on goal out of nothing – Areola down well to save. Everton tried a quick counter through Beto and Harrison but his cross was blocked out for a throw-in. From this, the ball came through to McNeil whose goal attempt was also blocked. Bowen danced in from the wing through five players and got almost to the goal before he was finally thwarted. But out of virtually nothing, Garner swung over a lovely cross that Beto, in plenty of space and just in the right place, headed down perfectly into the bottom corner. All is forgiven! A much better move going forward saw Harrison pause and then pick out McNeil crashing in who somehow found Areola rather than the back of the net. That really upped the tempo, a West Ham counter thwarted by Pickford before Everton launched another attack. West Ham then went forward, Kudus having his shot deflected wide of the post for a corner. From which, Zouma's header flew over Garner on the far post to destroy Everton's flimsy lead. Everton tried to play quick-ball, McNeil shooting again really from too far out, on target but very easily saved by Areola. West Ham responded but their attack was halted. Everton tried to build forward attacking moves along the ground only to fail with poor passes delivered kindly to the feet of a West Ham player. Beto pulled off a tremendous looping shot that looked like it might beat Areola but he stretched back and got a hand to it. The corner was cleared off the line from Docucoure and then McNeil shot horribly wide. [70 - 85] The pace of the game was still good despite the changes, but the chances just wouldn't come as 5 minutes were added on. West Ham got forward again and a ball across to Soucek was hammered home superbly from a wide angle through four players and past a despairing dive from Pickford. Pickford was upset about something and got booked for hounding down Referee Pawson. Everton won a late corner that was taken twice by Garner with exactly the same result: cleared by the first defender. West Ham broke at pace, Bowen setting up Alverez for an easy finish to make it 3-1 for the Hammers. Quite an astounding collapse by the bereft bumbling Blues. Everton XI: Pickford [Y:90+3'], Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, Doucoure (90+3' Chermiti), Harrison (80' Gomes), McNeil (90+3' Dobbin), Beto (74' Calvert-Lewin). Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Young, Coleman. West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Emerson (90+7' Ogbonna) , Souček [Y:90+2'], Álvarez, Ward-Prowse (66' Phillips), Paquetá (80' Antonio [Y:90+3']), Kudus (90+7' Johnson), Bowen Subs not Used: Fabiański, Aguerd, Cresswell, Mubama, Ings, Attendance: 39,262 Michael Kenrick top Match Preview Everton are back in action at Goodison Park this weekend when they take on West Ham United in what will be their last home game for more than a month as they seek a first Premier League win in nine matches. The Club's medical staff will give Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye late fitness tests before Sean Dyche names his side to face David Moyes's somewhat erratic outfit. Both midfielders are dealing with groin complaints, with Gueye forced off against Brighton last Saturday when, as Dyche described it, a muscle seized up early in the second half. The Senegal international had apparently felt tightness during the first half but indicated at half-time that he was fine to carry on and lasted just four more minutes. Onana, meanwhile, took a heavy blow to his lower leg when Billy Gilmour followed through on him before being shown a straight red card in the 1-1 draw at the Amex Community Stadium but it appears as though his intermitted groin problem has resurfaced. Sean Dyche said in his pre-match press conference at Finch Farm tosay that "[Gana] is still settling down and Ama has got a groin thing, similar to Gana's, which is just settling down. So we'll make more of a decision on them [on Friday]." On the more positive side, however, the manager confirmed that André Gomes has resumed training and "is going well" but Arnaut Danjuma likely won't figure until after the three-week break that Everton have ahead of them following the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United because of the international break and the postponement of the Goodison derby against Liverpool on account of the Reds' involvement in the FA Cup. "Arnie is doing well with his ankle but it's obviously a longer-term situation," Dyche explained. "He's doing really well. I just spoke to him before I came in and he's in a good place. It's going well." Though Seamus Coleman has recovered from illness and both Nathan Patterson and Ashley Young are fit and available, Dyche is expected to retain Ben Godfrey at right-back, with the only change from the side that started on the south coast last weekend likely to be in midfield if Gueye is ruled out. West Ham arrested a six-match winless run of their own on Monday evening when they beat Brentford in fairly convincing fashion 4-2, a result that moved them back up to eighth place in the table and, perhaps, subdued the disquiet among some in the Irons faithful round Moyes's tenure. Key for the Hammers has been the return to fitness of midfield linchpin, Lucas Paquetà, who, alongside Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen, will be the key dangerman that the Toffees will need to keep quiet. The Brazilian's return means that Moyes has a completely clean bill of health for his squad, with only Kalvin Phillips missing because of suspension. Matches involving a return to L4 for Moyes usually attract headlines but this fixture has an added wrinkle with the appointment of controversial official, Craig Pawson, as the match referee. Pawson has made himself a detested figure at Goodison for a number of poor decisions he has made involving the Blues in recent years, not least the red card shown to Allan in the game against Newcastle in March 2022, his failure to send Ibrahim Konaté off in the Anfield derby earlier this season, and his directive as VAR to red card Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the FA Cup Third Round tie at Crystal Palace in January. Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday 2 March 2024Referee: Craig PawsonVAR: Tony HarringtonLast Time: Everton 1 - 0 West Ham United Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, Harrison, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin Lyndon Lloyd top * Unfortunately, we cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.