WINSTON REID’S OWN goal ensured the spoils were shared in a 1-1 Premier League draw between West Ham and West Brom at Upton Park.
Substitute Rickie Lambert’s shot took a wicked deflection off Hammers captain Reid’s arm early in the second half to secure a hard-earned point for Tony Pulis’ side.
Mauro Zarate’s superb free-kick had given the hosts the lead in the first half as the Hammers looked to arrest a three-game winless run that has coincided with an injury to playmaker Dimitri Payet.
West Brom increasingly grew into the contest and looked the more likely winners after Lambert’s goal, with Adrian making a fine save to keep out a close-range header from Salomon Rondon.
Diafra Sakho went closest to finding a winner for West Ham, but his shot deflected off Jonas Olsson into the side netting with Boaz Myhill beaten.
The draw matches the result from when the two sides last met in east London in January.
After a cagey opening few minutes West Ham had the first shot at goal. The Baggies lost possession in a dangerous area and Manuel Lanzini jinked through two tackles before freeing Zarate, whose shot hit the side netting.
Rondon then went close, driving a fierce shot after good work from Darren Fletcher, but the Venezuela international’s strike fizzed just wide of Adrian’s far post.
The Hammers took the lead after 16 minutes when Gareth McAuley conceded a free-kick for grappling with Sakho 25 yards out and Zarate curled a wonderful shot over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Myhill helpless.
Cheikhou Kouyate should have added a second for Bilic’s men soon after, but glanced a header just wide from Aaron Cresswell’s precise cross, before Myhill saved well with his legs from the tricky Lanzini.
West Ham were dominating the 100th meeting between these sides and Lanzini forced another good stop from Myhill after the hosts sliced through the defence once again.
Pulis introduced Lambert for the ineffective Stephane Sessegnon at half-time and the former Liverpool striker made an immediate impact. West Ham failed to clear after Fletcher’s driving run and Lambert’s shot fortuitously deflected in off Reid’s arm for the equaliser.
Lambert was in the thick of the action and forced a good low save from Adrian via a free-kick he won himself after tussling with Angelo Ogbonna.
Adrian made an incredible save to deny Rondon on the hour mark, spreading himself to keep out the striker’s point-blank header as the visitors pressed.
With 20 minutes to go Victor Moses drove through the West Brom midfield and found Sakho in space, but the Senegal striker’s shot hit the side netting after a vital deflection off Olsson.
Moses then volleyed just wide of the far post in the final two minutes after Lanzini kept the ball alive in the box and that proved the final flurry.
