Paolo di Canio produced the most amazing piece of sportsmanship to save Everton from disaster and stop his own Hammers winning at Goodison Park.

In injury time Everton keeper Paul Gerrard raced out of his box to block Frederic Kanoute, as the West Ham goal-scorer raced away looking for the winner.

Gerrard was left flat out, some 10 yards outside his box, and Trevor Sinclair lifted the ball into the area where frantic defenders tried to get back to stop what looked an inevitable winner for the Italian.

But di Canio, whose image is still tainted by that shocking incident when he pushed over referee Paul Alcock two seasons ago, won himself a standing ovation from the home fans and the handshakes of thanks as he walked off at the end, by catching the ball as he ran into the box and stopping play, and denying West Ham a clear chance of a winner.

Gerrard was carried off and Steve Simonsen took over, with over 30,000 fans still blinking in disbelief at a show of honesty you rarely see in professional sport.

Di Canio clearly felt it was wrong to carry on with a fellow professional in distress, even if it did stop West Ham from grabbing the winning goal.

Everton had taken the lead, thanks to a Danny Cadamarteri flick on a Steve Watson header, only to be hauled back by Kanoute's fine finish nine minutes later.

But whatever had happened beforehand was overshadowed by di Canio's instinctive gesture which will create for him a whole new image amongst the nation's soccer fans.

Everton at least looked like a team that had learned their lesson after going without their Christmas party - and instead been subjected to a week of torture, verbally and physically, by manager Walter Smith - after last week's 5-0 disaster at Manchester City.

The end product was the axe for Dave Unsworth from defence with Stephen Hughes and Cadamarteri recalled. West Ham had Frank Lampard and Nigel Winterburn back.

Patchy though much of the play was, Everton's instant aggressive approach suggested Smith's words had not fallen on deaf ears. Hughes twice, and then Kevin Campbell with a virtual free header, suggested better things.

But in the first half at least, much of Everton's approach play floundered against West Ham's competitive, hard grafting midfield.

And what passing football was played came from the Hammers. Steve Lomas conjured a chance for Trevor Sinclair that was deflected wide, while Kanoute's run and lay-off saw Lampard side-foot wide from 12 yards out.

Cadamarteri was booked on 22 minutes for a late challenge on Rigobert Song, the ex-Liverpool man making his first return to Merseyside since his recent £2.5million move to London, and his presence gave the Everton fans plenty to jeer at.

Kanoute, who was constantly complaining about being pushed in the back every time he went for the ball, lost his patience and flattened David Weir on 29 minutes, and was booked for his troubles.

A long range drive from the impressive Michael Carrick, and a Mark Pembridge drive that crashed into the side netting, were the closest anyone else got in a tepid first period.

West Ham started the second period looking more intent on attack than their previous deep defence.

Kanoute's run from his own half, holding off Michael Ball, ended with a 50th minute shot that Watson had to hack away from an open goal with di Canio inches from reaching the loose ball.

It marked a more assertive spell from the Hammers, with di Canio taking more than his previous passing interest in the proceedings.

But Everton responded with a fierce, rising drive from Pembridge that cleared the bar.

Thomas Gravesen, who had been lucky not to be booked for a late tackle on Winterburn in the first half, escaped again on 57 minutes when he lunged into Carrick just after the West Ham teenager had crashed an 18 yard drive over the top.

Gravesen, then at the other end, produced a right-wing cross a couple of minutes later that Campbell climbed to head over.

But West Ham were the more dangerous and, on 62 minutes, Winterburn's cross from the left clipped Weir and cannoned straight to Kanoute, six yards out, but the speed that the ball arrived meant the Frenchman lost a gilt-edged chance.

Lampard then raced from halfway and sent in a low shot that bounced off Gerrard's waiting hands and fractionally past the post.

West Ham were to regret that miss, because Everton took the lead on 74 minutes.

Hughes' left-wing corner was met by Steve Watson with a powerful header beyond the far post that flicked off Cadamarteri and crashed into the far corner.

Watson claimed the goal, but Cadamarteri's minor involvement changed the flight of the ball and the debate over who should be credited with the strike raged long after the final whistle.

But eight minutes later, West Ham were level. Di Canio forced the ball into the box, Watson lost possession and Kanoute spun in a mass of defenders to fire low into the bottom corner.

Teams

Everton: Gerrard (Simonsen 90), Steve Watson, Weir, Hughes, Pembridge, Ball, Naysmith, Gravesen (Alexandersson 86), Gemmill, Cadamarteri, Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Unsworth, Moore, Tal.

Booked: Cadamarteri.

Goals: Cadamarteri 75.

West Ham: Hislop, Stuart Pearce, Song, Ian Pearce, Sinclair, Lomas, Winterburn, Lampard, Carrick, Di Canio, Kanoute.

Subs Not Used: Potts, Suker, Diawara, Tihinen, Bywater.

Booked: Kanoute, Lomas.

Goals: Kanoute 83.

Att: 31,260

Ref: C Wilkes (Gloucester).