Parker perfect

Hammer of the Year, player of the month, man of the match.

Scott Parker's display at Goodison Park on Sunday summed up a man in the form of his career and the determination of a team to ensure a disappointing campaign finishes on a high. The midfielder was a powerhouse against a strong Everton team and led by example as the Hammers kept going to earn a precious 2-2 draw.

"It was a battling point," said Parker. "You could see at the end how we are delighted with that. We have been on a bad run and a lot has been in the press over the last couple of weeks - some right stuff and some wrong stuff. We have got a big spirit in the training ground and we deserved a point and we can push on from here.

"It is a statement of character. We needed to come out and show we have a siege mentality. We have gone down twice at Goodison and kept going. It is a good starting point. It is going to be tough for the rest of the season but we are up for it."

Parker had benefited from three days' break at the start of the week and said he had seen a terrific attitude at Chadwell Heath in recent days. "The one thing is we have really dug in. We have stuck together all week and put in some good training sessions and worked as a unit

"We were much more organised as a team and as an outfit. In the second half we were the better side. We maybe could have got them on the counter but we won't get greedy."

To see Everton take a 2-1 lead so late in the contest would have been a Hammer blow for many sides - "when you are down where we are, when one goal goes in sometimes it feels like two" - but Parker reiterated the fightback showed "good spirit".

He added: "I really hope we can push on. We all deserve it - players and fans - and hopefully we can go on and do that."

The England man will miss the next two matches through suspension but has faith in his colleagues. "I am very disappointed to miss two games having been sitting on [a tenth yellow card] for six or seven games. I only had the next game to get through and it was cleared.

"I will take the result over that though any day and hopefully when I come back we will be in a good position and kick on."