Everton missed the opportunity to put pressue on fourth placed Liverpool after being held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham at Goodison Park.

In-form striker Yakubu had put the Toffees in front after just eight minutes with his 13th league goal of the season, before Dean Ashton's second-half header earned the Hammers a well-deserved point.

Striker Victor Anichebe, starting in place of the injured Andy Johnson, flicked a long ball into the path of Nigerian Yakubu, who displayed good balance and strength to hold off two West Ham defenders and fire a solid finish past goalkeeper Robert Green.

In the 68th minute, Ashton beat Phil Jagielka in the air to head in Lucas Neill's speculative long ball for his eighth goal of the season.

The Hammers were the better side for the opening period, and centre-back James Tomkins almost scored on his first-team debut after just five minutes.

The 18-year-old defender, starting for the first time as Jonathan Spector had only just arrived back in Britain following international duty, headed Mark Noble's cross onto the crossbar.

Yakubu scored soon after, and that was swiftly followed by Tim Cahill's withdrawal. The Australian had been a doubt before the match, and manager David Moyes's calculated risk in starting him did not pay off, as the midfielder hobbled off after just 10 minutes to be replaced by Manuel Fernandes.

Everton found the net again on the 15-minute mark, but after Yakubu had coolly slotted the ball past Green, the goal was disallowed for offside. Replays showed that it was in fact Hammers midfielder Scott Parker, and not Anichebe, who knocked the ball through to Yakubu.

Despite conceding the early goal, West Ham did not change their approach, and Ashton had two good opportunities to level in the first half.

Around the half-hour mark the striker should have scored from close range, but his volley hit the turf and bounced wide of the target, before his direct free kick deflected off Joleon Lescott and Tim Howard kicked out with his trailing leg to save well.

The second half was a tighter affair, with clear-cut chances thinner on the ground. Just five minutes after the restart, the lacklustre Luis Boa Morte was substituted for 18-year-old striker Freddie Sears, who scored the winning goal in West Ham's last match against Blackburn.

The teenager looked lively, causing the Everton defence some problems, and almost scored his second goal in as many first-team appearances.

With five minutes left to play, Jagielka got the ball stuck under his feet and Sears pounced to take it off him and tried to round the keeper. Green was quick off his line and managed to force Sears wide and onto his wrong foot, and the eventual shot was tame.

Then, in the last minute of normal time, Sears raced past Jagielka again and rolled the ball past Howard, only to see it rebound off the post and be hacked to safety.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport