It was honours even at Upton Park as Everton levelled the Hammer's 16th minute opener - an own goal by Hibbert with an 'assist' from Kovac - with a goal remarkably similar to the one that Piquionne scored at Craven Cottage on Boxing Day, Coleman hitting home unmarked just before half-time.

Other than that it was a frustrating evening for Hammers' fans hoping to see their side build on the three points gained at Fulham just two days earlier. It wasn't that the home side were particularly poor or even that the visitor's were good - given the claret and blue's poor record against the Toffee's, a draw might even be considered a bit of a result! - it was just one of those games that cried out for someone to just show that extra bit of class or turn up the pressure a tad more.

As it was there was barely anything of note occured at all during an insipid second-half and, as on 'old-timer' who remembers truly great players playing three or four games in eight days over the festive period, I just find it depressing that two goal Carlton Cole was needed to be rested for a game that was, I believe, winnable.

I'm sure the Coaching staff and Management will defend the team put out on a bitterly cold evening in the East End but to the fans who'd made the journey there were times when it looked as if the whole thing was being played at half-pace. Apart from Scott Parker who, surprisingly was passed over for Hammer's Man-of-the-Match by Rob Green - a solid display but I didn't think the keeper was really forced into anything spectacular - there wasn't really any sensation of their being any urgency. I got the feeling long before the end that a draw was considered 'acceptable' by both sides.

As it was, the only moments of excitement for the home side came when Tim Howard parried a James Tomkins header from a corner to Kovac. The Czech tried an overhead kick that frankly looked to be going nowhere but it took a deflection off Hibbert and Everton were a goal down.

Distin and Obinna had shots in what looked like it would be a good contest and Upson headed just over, but there was an odd feeling that the Hammer's were quite happy to coast into half-time. Inevitably, those plans went west when Coleman got in behind the West Ham defence and, from a Cahill far-post cross, slotted home unmarked. It looked awful as the defence had been pulled out of shape and I wondered how much the 34th minute injury to left-back Herita Ilunga had upset things.

Disappointing then but it did seem to set-up an intriguing second-half but... well, it never arrived. Upson nodded a difficult chance off-target from a corner and Scott Parker saw a 25-yard chip narrowly sail over as West Ham tried to regain the initiative, while Everton's Coleman did well in stoppage-time with another good effort. Other than that it was pretty tedious fare, the only excitement being the tension cranked up as Everton pushed forward towards the end when five minutes was added on for reasons I couldn't quite see.

In conclusion, it was one of thsoe games where the point gained or the two lost will only be seen in magnitude at the end of the season. I hope it's not one of those games we wish we could play all over again...