Lee Bowyer today admitted West Ham's defensive frailties mean they need to score three goals to win games.

The midfielder spoke out after his team lost 3-1 home to Everton, their sixth successive match without a win.

Gianfranco Zola's team have failed to keep a clean sheet since February and Bowyer said: "We're not happy with that statistic because it isn't good enough. We should have beaten Everton 1-0 but the lack of clean sheets means we have to score two or three goals to score to win and that's not easy in this League. We have to tighten up as a team."

Despite West Ham's increasing problems, Bowyer still believes Zola is on the right line.

"After we went in front we felt we could hit them on the break with the pace and score another one," he said. "They nicked an equaliser though and it went downhill from there. I don't think our confidence is low, though, because we felt should have beaten Middlesbrough last week and Everton. The way we're playing at the moment is exciting.

"We're moving the ball well and we've all got options. We haven't had that for a while now. As an attacking player I'm enjoying it."

However, Zola will have to seriously consider compromising his pure attacking ideals soon, if his team are not to find themselves in the bottom three.

After 80 minutes it was all going so well for the rookie boss, with 20-year-old midfielder Jack Collison, who replaced the injured Matthew Upson in the first half, scoring a sweet debut goal.

The exhausted Scott Parker should have been substituted then but Zola kept him on and his two strikers as he went for a second. Instead, West Ham conceded three in five minutes as they wilted in the face of strong Everton pressure.

"Scott is a very important player for this team," he said. "I was thinking of taking him off but there was no real indication Everton were on top of us.

"We don't need to panic. We are doing very well for 80 minutes but we need to do it for 95."

West Ham return to the High Court today as they fight Sheffield United's £50million claim for compensation over the Carlos Tevez affair.