Everton vs West Ham United. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance38,242.
Thursday 30 November 2017 06:38, UK
A hat-trick from Wayne Rooney, including one sensational strike from inside his own half, helped Everton earn a 4-0 win over West Ham at Goodison Park, with Sam Allardyce looking on from the stands.
Allardyce is due to be confirmed as the new Everton boss imminently, and he only had to wait 18 minutes to see Everton take the lead, as Rooney headed home after his penalty had been saved by Joe Hart. Then, 10 minutes later, it was two, as Rooney stroked the ball home after Tom Davies' cross had rolled into his path.
West Ham upped their game in the second half, and could have got themselves back in it, but Manuel Lanzini saw his penalty kick saved by Jordan Pickford, before Rooney completed his hat-trick in incredible fashion, drilling a strike into the net from inside his own half, over a stranded Hart, to send Goodison into raptures in awe of their local hero.
Ashley Williams headed home a fourth as Everton secured three points that sees them climb to 13th, as David Unsworth was treated to victory in what was almost certainly his final match in charge. West Ham's woes continue, as they stay in the bottom three after a defeat that means David Moyes has suffered five successive defeats back at Goodison as an opposition manager, 12-0 on aggregate.
Both sides came into the match in such poor form, meaning the opening stages were fraught with wayward passing and little creativity.
However, a simple ball over the top opened up West Ham, Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke clear, knocked the ball around the onrushing Hart, who upended the young striker.
Captain Rooney stepped up to take the penalty in Leighton Baines' absence. Hart saved to his right, but could only look on as the rebound bounced up for Rooney to easily head into the empty net.
The goal seemed to relax a tense Goodison, and soon enough it was two. Jonjoe Kenny broke forward well, fed Davies, who dragged a cross into the middle, which rolled into Rooney's path, allowing the skipper time to sweep the ball past Hart.
The introduction of Diafra Sakho injected some life into the Hammers after the break, as Aaron Cresswell rattled the crossbar, before Sakho earned his side a penalty after being hauled down by Ashley Williams, only for Lanzini to see his spot-kick saved by Pickford.
Then, with Everton on the back foot, Rooney stole the show. Hart had done well to race from his goal to tackle Calvert-Lewin, but he could only divert the ball into the path of Rooney, 58 yards from goal. And the England goalkeeper could do nothing as Rooney fired the ball over everyone and into the net.
Ashley Williams arrowed a brilliant header into the net to cap a fine Everton performance late on. Allardyce has plenty to work with at Goodison, with his captain back to his very best.
It couldn't be anyone else really, could it? His first was slightly fortune, his second well taken, his third? Out of this world. The trajectory on the strike was unreal. An all-round performance to show Rooney is anything but on the wane.
David Unsworth: "Well, Sam has my full backing. The board have made their decision and like any manager, he needs to be afforded time, patience. He needs to be given the chance and the backing from the whole football club and he certainly has my backing."
David Moyes: " I didn't want to put my name to the first half, that was for sure. We made changes at half time, it made us better and look, tonight we weren't good in the first half, so we didn't deserve anything, but I thought when we needed small things to go for us, they didn't. I mean, Wayne's penalty was saved by Joe Hart, but it came back to him. Tonight, Lanzini's was saved and didn't, so from that point of view small things like that didn't go for us.
"It was a walk in the park then second half it was all West Ham. They get a penalty and Lanzini misses it, if that had gone in it would have been a game changer.
"Then you see one of the goals of the season from Rooney. He drills it like he hit it with a seven iron.
"But West Ham. Wow."
Another home game is next for Everton as Huddersfield travel to Merseyside, while West Ham face a tough challenge as they head north to face league leaders Manchester City.
