Everton secured a much-needed first win in five Barclays Premier League games with a battling 2-1 victory at West Ham, who slipped back into the relegation zone.

Louis Saha netted from 20 yards against the run of play after 26 minutes before Dan Gosling added a second just after the hour, but the Hammers made a fight of it following an own goal by Tony Hibbert.

West Ham's England Under-21 forward Zavon Hines was handed a start for the injured Carlton Cole having netted a dramatic last-minute winner here against Aston Villa in midweek, and the youngster again looked lively.

Everton deployed five in midfield and were content to let West Ham have plenty of the ball in the opening quarter, waiting patiently for their chance.

Then, out of nothing, it came. Tim Cahill battled to hold the ball up on the edge of the West Ham box before laying it back to Saha.

The French striker, 20 yards out, needed no second invitation and drilled his first-time shot low into the bottom right corner.

The home side had more impetus at the start of the second half, however it was Everton who snatched a second on the break after 64 minutes.

Substitute Yakubu pushed the ball out to Gosling on the overlap down the right, his first shot was blocked by Robert Green but the ball fell straight back to the Everton winger, who this time drilled it into the net.

West Ham, though, hit back moments later when Stanislas clipped a shot past the advancing Tim Howard, but with Hibbert looking set to hack clear he could only hack the ball into his own net.

The Upton Park faithful sensed an equaliser but it was not to be.