Everton 2 West Ham 0

EVERTON: Howard, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Nuno Valente,Van der Meyde (Vaughan 72), Osman (Weir 82), Carsley, McFadden,Johnson, Beattie (Hughes 90).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Vidarsson.

WEST HAM: Green, Spector (Mascherano 84), Ferdinand, Collins,Konchesky, Bowyer (Sheringham 69), Mullins, Reo-Coker,Etherington, Zamora (Harewood 69), Tevez.
Subs Not Used: Kiraly, McCartney.

Att: 32,968

Another blank away from home, and when the manager says he doesn’t know how to put it right, you begin to wonder what the future holds.

A depleted Everton produced a display of defiance, rather than anything spectacular, to take the three points and dump West Ham back in the relegation dog-fight.

At times like these, it is refreshing to feel we have the edge over Watford, Sheffield United and Charlton, and no matter what … I don’t think relegation is a possibility. But Pardew had better get to grips with the travel sickness that seems to have hit his players.

The Hammers dominated long spells of the game, as we have done so often in many matches, and it can be said Carlos Tevez produced his best performance for the club. But we have to start picking up points away from East London.

The Argentinian had Everton’s defence in a rabble – but if you don’t score when you’re on top – you get egg on your face.

Leon Osman opened the scoring early in the second half, and suddenly West Ham went up two gears. But by the time substitute James Vaughan drilled home the second goal in injury-time, West Ham had exhausted every avenue without success.

Eggert Magnusson says he will turn West Ham into a European power. But the way he showed his frustration at endless chances going begging, you know the penny has suddenly dropped. And, regardless how friendly the chat ‘over a cup of coffee’ was with Pardew last week, I don’t believe the new chairman will hang on much longer if the manager fails to produce the goods.

West Ham were without hamstring victim Danny Gabbidon, which gave James Collins only his third game of the season after a groin problem.

It took Everton a long time to get a foothold in the game, but when they did, Tevez still kept them on their toes.

But it was Everton who broke the deadlock in the 51st minute after James Beattie chased a lost cause down the right. The striker pulled back a cross which James Collins headed only as far as Osman – and the midfielder chested the ball down before firing it into the top corner.

Pardew attempted to wrestle back some control by sending on Marlon Harewood and Teddy Sheringham for Zamora and Bowyer.

In the third minute of injury-time the result was sealed when Mascherano was caught in possession and the ball was fed by Lee Carsley to Vaughan, who raced away to fire home the second.