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Everton miss chance to close on Liverpool

  • Story Highlights
  • Everton miss a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in race for fourth position
  • Yakubu scores first for Everton but West Ham fight back to secure a 1-1 draw
  • Newcastle clinch first win under Kevin Keegan with a 2-0 victory over Fulham
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LONDON, England -- Everton are now two points behind city rivals Liverpool in the race for the fourth Champions League place in the Premier League after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham.

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Yakubu fires home his 19th goal of the season to put Everton ahead against West Ham.

The home side had the perfect start when they took the lead in the eighth minute.

Nigerian striker Yakubu Aigeybeni out-muscled teenage debutant James Tomkins before firing home his 19th goal of the season.

However, the Hammers levelled midway through the second half when Lucas Neill fired over a cross from the right, and Dean Ashton rose superbly above Phil Jagielka to send his header in off a post.

The result might have been worse for Everton with teenage Hammers sensation Freddie Sears twice denied late on, first by goalkeeper Tim Howard and then, after he had beaten the American goalkeeper, by the post.

All the top four are in action on Sunday with leaders Manchester United facing fourth-placed Liverpool and Chelsea (third) taking on second-placed Arsenal in a London derby.

Meanwhile, goals from Mark Viduka and Michael Owen ended Newcastle's wretched run of 13 Premier League games without a win as they beat struggling Fulham 2-0 at St James' Park.

The result, Newcastle's first win in Kevin Keegan's second spell as manager after nine games without a victory since the former England coach's return, eased their fears of being drawn into the relegation battle. However, defeat left Fulham second-bottom and facing a fight to maintain their top-flight status.

"It will stop people saying Newcastle haven't won under Kevin Keegan. When we had to dig in as a team, we stuck together and maybe that is the thing these players have been criticized for in the past," said Keegan. "I can feel a good spirit around the place, we just needed a win to endorse that and we got it today. It was thoroughly deserved."

It was a good day for the north east clubs, with Sunderland and Middlesbrough also picking up narrow but crucial victories.

Sunderland moved further away from the drop zone with a 1-0 win away to Aston Villa, their first league win on their travels this season, thanks to Michael Chopra's 83rd minute goal. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough beat bottom-of-the-table Derby County by the same scoreline.

Reading moved five points clear of danger and nudged Birmingham nearer the bottom three with a 2-1 win at the Madejski Stadium. However, Bolton remain in the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City -- while Blackburn beat Wigan 3-1 in a match where both sides finished with10 men.

In the day's early Premier League match, Tottenham beat Portsmouth 2-0 to dent Pompey's hopes of a top-five finish.

Striker Darren Bent came off the bench to make it 1-0 in the 80th minute and then laid on the second for fellow-substitute Jamie O'Hara moments later. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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