Draw gives Zola a winning feeling

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola felt like celebrating after his team ended a difficult week with a valuable and unexpected - but thoroughly deserved - point from a 2-2 draw at Everton.

The Hammers had been plunged into crisis after crashing to a sixth successive Barclays Premier League defeat against Stoke nine days ago. That result left them above the relegation zone only on points difference and, with Zola apparently at odds with the club's owners, his position seemed uncertain.

But following a battling 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Sunday, Zola said: "It was fantastic. We never gave up. We came back in the second half, we equalised and played well. We showed we don't give up for anything."

Everton, who had been looking to maintain their late European push with an eighth consecutive win, twice led through Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Ayegbeni Yakubu.

Manuel da Costa cancelled out the opener after team-mate Mido had earlier missed a penalty and Ilan responded immediately after Yakubu looked to have won it with a powerful 85th-minute header.

It was no more than the visitors deserved for their spirited showing in the second half.

Zola felt his players had shown the qualities and determination needed to beat the drop and was pleased with how they put all the negative headlines surrounding the club aside.

He said: "We don't want to focus on anything other than the football. Other things we cannot stop - people want to give opinions - but we are 100% focused on the field.

"It is a difficult situation but, despite all the difficulties, we don't want to stop fighting.

"That is what we said to each other before the game. We said no matter what, we will fight until the end."