Bowen's late brilliance saves West Ham from relegation dogfight

This was desperation football at its finest. West Ham, languishing in the relegation mire at 17th place, needed this more than Everton needed to maintain their mid-table perch, and eventually that hunger showed. Bowen was the architect of their salvation, conjuring two assists in the final five minutes to turn a match that looked destined for a goalless draw into a thrilling victory that could prove absolutely crucial come May.

For seventy minutes, this felt like a match that neither side particularly wanted to win. Everton controlled possession with 56 per cent of the ball and should have been more threatening, but instead they huffed and puffed without ever seriously troubling the West Ham goalkeeper. The visitors had more shots, 11 to West Ham's 10, yet both sides mustered just three efforts on target apiece. It was sterile, cautious stuff, exactly what you get when a mid-table side travels to a team fighting for their lives.

Then broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, arriving at the back post to meet a cross and lash it past the Everton defence. It was exactly the kind of poacher's finish that West Ham desperately needed, and for a brief moment you felt the Hammers might run away with it. But Everton, to their credit, didn't crumble. dragged them level in the 88th minute with an unlikely source of a goal, rising to meet header from a set-piece to spark genuine belief that they might snatch something.