Moyes eager for derby clash despite Hammer blow

West Ham's Dean Ashton, seen here in 2006, scored a second-half equaliser which saw Everton lose ground in their effort to beat local rivals Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions' League place. West Ham snatched a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.

Everton manager David Moyes looked forward to the Merseyside derby with Liverpool by insisting his team was still well positioned to secure a fourth-placed Premier League finish this season.

The Toffees were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by West Ham at Goodison Park here Saturday, hours after defeats for both Portsmouth and Aston Villa had dented those clubs' hopes of beating Liverpool to the fourth, and final, Champions League place at season's end.

The result was all the more damaging coming as it did on the eve of Liverpool's visit to leaders Manchester United on Sunday.

Now, whatever happens at Old Trafford, Everton will kick-off at Goodison on March 30 at least two points behind Liverpool, who will head into the match with their near-neighbours in fourth place.

Moyes, after Everton forward Aiyegbeni Yakubu's early opener had been cancelled out by Dean Ashton, did his best to put a positive spin on the draw with West Ham.

"In the end, it's one point gained on the teams below us," said the Scot. "And we have consolidated our fifth position. I was still pushing for the second goal late on and I thought we tried to make things happen, they just didn't quite go for us."

He added: "I'm not thinking about Liverpool just now, I am still thinking about this game, but our confidence is fine. You're always going to be tested throughout a season and I thought this was a test."

The result may prove to have been even more damaging in the long term as Everton's Australia midfielder Tim Cahill was forced off after only ten minutes with what appeared to be a foot injury although Moyes did not know the extent of the injury immediately after the final whistle.

Everton's manager, who earlier in the week responded to calls from the Football Association for greater respect towards officials by saying this was a two-way street and re-iterating his pleas for better decision-making, was angered by referee Mark Halsey's decision to rule out a second Yakubu 'goal'.

It appeared the ball was played to the striker by a West Ham player, which meant he could not have been offside regardless of his position.

And, even if the officials thought the pass came from an Everton boot, the Nigerian looked to be on-side when he received the ball.

"I think if we had got a second goal at that period, it would have changed the outcome," said Moyes. "But I've seen many like that this season so maybe we shouldn't be surprised.

"When you see it again, the ball does actually hit Victor Anichebe's shin on the way through but the point is he was on-side so the assistant shouldn't have flagged. Victor was also through on the goalkeeper and missed, so maybe we could have tried to put the game to bed early on."

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley was delighted with his team's efforts and confessed to being disappointed not to have taken all three points as lively 18-year-old substitute Freddie Sears and impressive striker Ashton created a number of good late chances.

"People talked to me about Dean Ashton before I got here but, because of his injuries I had never seen him play," Curbishley said. "Now we are seeing what he is capable of."

As for Sears, it needed a fine save from Tim Howard to deny him in the closing stages before, in injury time, he beat the United States goalkeeper only for the ball to hit the post.

"Young Freddie gave us a bit of a lift when he came on. He's an unknown quantity and was very unlucky not to score a couple," Curbishley added.