[AMERICANS IN BRITAIN] Goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton celebrated a 2-0 win at West Ham, for which Jonathan Spector stayed on the bench. Keeper Marcus Hahnemann made several crucial saves in Reading's 1-1 tie with at Birmingham. Fulham, with Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey going the distance, fell, 1-0 to Newcastle on a Joey Barton penalty kick. Fulham, for which Dempsey came close to scoring on three occasions, is in 18th place, one point inside the relegation zone.

Midfielder Bobby Convey played 84 minutes for Reading, which is in 13th place.

Everton's win extended its undefeated streak to 12 games in all competitions and kept it in sixth place in the English Premier League.

The highlight of Howard's performance was a parry of Nolberto Solano's free kick.

Neither Eddie Lewis nor Benny Feilhaber saw action for last-place Derby, which lost, 1-0, to Middlesbrough.