Pardew: ‘It Is A Concern’

Over ten hours of play and not an away goal. As if we didn’t know already, Alan Pardew says it is ‘a concern’.

Everton won with second-half strikes by Leon Osman and substitute James Vaughan to plunge the Hammers back in relegation trouble.

However, striker Carlos Tevez was outstanding and was denied by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard twice.

Alan Pardew: ‘We had a similar game recently at Middlesbrough where we did well and couldn’t score. But we better than that here.

‘We had a dozen corners in the first half, looked like we were going to score, but that has been the story of our season on the road.

‘We don’t seem to be able to give ourselves a cushion. We conceded the first goal again and were chasing the game again.

‘I cannot fault our application or effort. We must keep our heads up because we have a very important game now on Wednesday at home to Wigan.

‘When you cannot get away points it puts you under pressure at home to claw those points back.

‘I believe it is now more than 10 hours since we scored an away goal in the Premiership, and that is a concern.

‘All you can do is pepper the target like we did, and hope one soon goes in.

‘Carlos Tevez was excellent, he also needs a goal to give him even more confidence.

‘Our penetration, our control of the game, is fine right up to the area.

‘David Moyes almost apologised to me at the end, he maybe feels he got a victory out of nothing.’