There was an inevitability to Everton’s winner. They so often leave it late at Upton Park. Adrián made a spectacular save to deny Romelu Lukaku in the 88th minute, but there was nothing he could do when the Belgian headed a cross from the Everton substitute, Aiden McGeady, past him in stoppage time.
It was Lukaku’s sixth goal in sixth games against West Ham and it moved Everton above them on goals scored. Dropping into 11th place will do little to convince West Ham to give Sam Allardyce a new contract.
We had to wait until the 26th minute before the deadlock was broken. A West Ham attack broke down on the edge of the Everton area and a swift exchange of passes led to Lukaku receiving the ball on the right flank. The Everton striker had space to attack. West Ham were in trouble. They were exposed.
Winston Reid had to sacrifice himself. The West Ham centre-back charged across and, in a wonderful act of selflessness, he rescued his team by barrelling into Lukaku, sending him sprawling to the turf with a frankly shameless barge. It was thou-shalt-not-pass defending, but it came at a price. Kevin Friend, the referee, marched over and brandished the game’s first yellow card.
After almost half an hour of sparring, the first blow had been landed in the fair play clásico. Some people think that this has been the worst Premier League season ever. Chelsea won the league ages ago, the battle to finish in the top four ended last weekend and two of the relegation places have already been decided. Drama is in short supply.
What a boost, then, that the race to qualify for the Europa League via the fair play table has come riding to the rescue. Everyone is talking about it. In east London, it has captured the imagination. West Ham’s immaculate behaviour has left them on the cusp of European football next season, but Everton are not far behind, so Reid’s booking had potentially ruinous ramifications.
Yet Everton’s lead only lasted seven minutes and when Séamus Coleman was booked for tugging Enner Valencia’s shirt, the West Ham fans reacted like a goal had been scored.
It was a brave fightback from West Ham and they led 2-1 by the break, Gareth Barry booked for clipping Reid’s heels. “We’re all going on a European tour!” the West Ham fans chanted.
Of course, it is not quite that straightforward. The lucky recipients of that bonus spot will enter the first qualifying round of the Europa League, the first leg of which is scheduled for 2 July. There are three qualifying rounds. They finish on 6 August and then there is a two-legged play-off to reach the group phase, which lasts six matches. Dealing with that many games will not be easy. It will place a drain on resources and it is debatable whether it is worth the effort.
A cynic could have been mistaken for thinking that both sides were trying to pick up bookings, certainly when the Everton debutant, Brendan Galloway, had a faintly pathetic shoving match with West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyaté in the second half.
The atmosphere was surreal, a mid-table scrap lent artificial significance by a good behaviour contest that would not barely have reached subplot status on another day. Meaning was attached to every challenge, every little show of dissent. You held your breath whenever it looked like someone might kick the ball away after the whistle had been blown.
At times, it was more interesting than a game which was mostly played at walking pace. Everton were the superior side for long periods and created the best chances. Their football was occasionally bright and inventive, but it was West Ham who opened the scoring in the 62nd minute when Alex Song slid a pass through to Stewart Downing, who cut inside and bent a lovely low finish into the far corner with his left foot.
Everton equalised five minutes later. Leon Osman controlled Lukaku’s cross and held off Reece Burke, before swivelling brilliantly and volleying past Adrián from close range.
Then, at the death, came Lukaku’s winner. At least bookings for James McCarthy and Galloway in the second half provided West Ham with some consolation.
Guardian