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Everton 2-2 Westham: Bilyaletdinov, Fellaini great-strike
Marouane Fellaini rescued a late point for Everton in a 2-2 home draw with West Ham that saw Frederic Piquionne sent off after scoring the visiting side's second goal, on Saturday 22/01/2011.Avram Grant's side were transformed from the team that lost 5-0 at Newcastle in their previous outing in the Premier League earlier this month.
Jonathon Spector fired West Ham ahead on 26 minutes at Goodison Park with his first league goal for the club only for Everton substitute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to restore parity with a thumping equaliser from the edge of the box 13 minutes from time.
The outstanding Piquionne thought he had won it for West Ham when he rose to send a looping header from Wayne Bridge's delivery into the net on 85 minutes.
He was sent off for a second booking after leaving the pitch to celebrate with the visiting fans before Fellaini turned in the box two minutes into stoppage time to crack an unstoppable shot beyond West Ham keeper Rob Green.
West Ham remain bottom of the Premier League table, but they will take a lot of heart from the character they displayed for large swathes of this match with Scott Parker and Piquionne in outstanding form in defence and attack.
West Ham deployed a five-man midfield that worked to perfection for most of a breathless affair that was a wonderful advert for the Premier League.
Piquionne showed what he could in the sixth minute when he walloped a fizzing shot wide of the target.
The visitors continued to break up the park with some relish.
Parker played a lovely little pass into the path of Mark Noble on eight minutes, who drilled a shot narrowly over the bar.
Despite winning several free-kicks in and around the West Ham area, Everton could carve out only one clear chance of the first half on 19 minutes.
Mikel Arteta fed the bustling Jermaine Beckford with a lovely pass, but Green read the danger perfectly as he raced from his line to make a timely block.
The importance of that save was highlighted on 26 minutes when West Ham silenced the home fans inside a boisterous Goodison.
Everton's defence was caught napping as Luis Boa Morte meandered to the byline before slipping the ball back to Spector, who calmly finished with home goalkeeper Tim Howard in no man's land.
Piquionne tried an audacious chip that Howard was relieved to hold a minute later before West Ham, inspired by the probing Parker, almost added a second goal on 38 minutes.
This time Spector played provider as he picked out Piquionne in the box.
The towering forward was unmarked in sending a header beyond Howard only to see the ball clip the inside of a post before rolling back out.
Boa Morte had the ball in the net minutes before the break from Piquionne's pass, but the goal was rightly ruled offside.
Everton's players were booed from the park by their fans, which was hardly a major surprise.
They surely had to improve in the second half, but despite their best intentions, West Ham continued to look the more dangerous speeding forward with Spector walloping wide and Parker forcing Howard to save as the game bubbled towards a boiling conclusion.
Green made a brilliant stop to deny Saha moments after Bilyaletdinov had struck with Seamus Coleman hoisting the rebound over the bar when he looked certain to make it 2-1.
Piquionne thought he had won it for West Ham only for Fellaini to have the final say two minutes into the four added on by referee Peter Walton, who got the majority of calls right on a hectic afternoon for a match official.
Fellaini's goal denied West Ham their first victory at Goodison Park since 2005. They remain bottom of the table on goal difference from Wolves with Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa a point better off. Only nine points separates the bottom 10 sides in the table.
Desmond Kane / Eurosport
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Team Line-up:
Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, Fellaini, Osman, Anichebe, Beckford Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Bilyaletdinov, Saha, Gueye, Rodwell
West Ham: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Bridge, Hines, Spector, Noble, Parker, Boa Morte, Piquionne Subs: Boffin, Reid, Gabbidon, McCarthy, Sears, Barrera, Nouble
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