West Ham scored a last gasp winner to beat Liverpool and Watford gained a point on the leaders, while Reading made another barren road trip.

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BALLACK BRUSHES ROYALS ASIDE
Reading stay anchored to the nether regions of the Premier League after falling 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Michael Ballack's 32nd minute header was the game's only goal.

Marcus Hahnemann went the distance and Bobby Convey played 85 minutes for the Royals, who maintained their winless season on the road with a ninth defeat in 12 attempts.

Chelsea took the game to their visitors and dominated proceedings from early on. Hahnemann excelled in repelling a Ballack set piece, a curling effort from Joe Cole and a head-on charge from Shaun Wright-Phillips before Ballack pounced.

The German, in only his sixth league outing of the season, rose majestically above the Reading center backs to head Paulo Ferreira's right flank serve powerfully into the net.

The Blues resumed their authority straight after the break when Cole broke clear, but skewed his finish wide of the target.

Nicolas Anelka had a subdued home debut for the West Londoners, heading into Hahnemann's arms in the middle of the second half while the Reading strikers had a barren evening.

Kevin Doyle headed across goal and Leroy Lita almost found James Harper unmarked, but that was as close as the visitors came to scoring on a night they will want to swiftly forget.

While Reading's Stephen Hunt was booed by the home fans all night for a tackle last season that has Chelsea keeper Petr Cech still wearing protective headgear, but former Royals favorite Steve Sidwell won more acclaim when coming on with five minutes to go.

The Royals stay in 16th and host 15th place Bolton on Saturday at the Madejski.

Scoring
CHE - Michael Ballack 3 (Paulo Ferreira) 32'

Line-ups
CHE - Petr Cech; Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Ricardo Carvalho, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips (Steve Sidwell 85'), Claude Makelele, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda (Claudio Pizarro 76')

REA - Marcus Hahnemann; Graeme Murty, Kalifa Cisse, Ivar Ingimarsson, Nicky Shorey, John Oster (Marek Matejovsky 81'), James Harper, Stephen Hunt, Bobby Convey (Liam Rosenior 85'), Leroy Lita, Kevin Doyle

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EVERTON HELD BY SPURS
Neither team was able to put one in the net Wednesday night at Goodison Park as Everton hosted a scoreless draw with Tottenham.

The home side had a handful of scoring chances in the first half.

Victor Anichebe weakly headed the ball off a cross and Andrew Johnson tried to give chase, but Spurs' keeper Radek Cerný was there to collect in time. Johnson had a nice shot on goal later in the half, but the keeper was there to keep it out.

Johnson should have had another chance after he received a long ball from Phil Neville, but he was tripped by Tottenham defender Tom Huddlestone, Goodison Park erupting in anger and disbelief that nothing was called.

Tottenham's only chance in the first half came from a Steed Malbranque bicycle kick in the 23rd minute, but Everton keeper Tim Howard handled it with ease.

In the second half, Arteta had a chance in the box, but put it wide of goal. Shortly afterwards, Manuel Fernandes gave a pass to Johnson, who shot the ball under Cerný, but the keeper was able to get a small enough touch on it to keep the game goalless.

Robbie Keane almost capitalized on a bad pass from Neville, but Howard made the save. Berbatov also had a chance off an Aaron Lennon cross, but defender Phil Jagielka blocked it.

With the tie Everton, remain in fourth place.

Line-ups
EVE - Tim Howard; Philip Neville, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Nuno Valente, Mikel Arteta, Lee Carsley, Manuel Fernandes, Leighton Baines, Andrew Johnson, Victor Anichebe (James Vaughan 71')

TOTT - Radek Cerný; Pascal Chimbonda, Tom Huddlestone, Jonathan Woodgate, Chris Gunter (Kevin-Prince Boateng 62'), Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas, Jamie O'Hara, Steed Malbranque, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane

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NOBLE HAMMERS REDS TITLE HOPES
A Mark Noble spot kick at the death gave West Ham a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Upton Park.

The England Under-21 midfielder's penalty handed the Hammers their first win in a dozen games over the Reds, who slip to seventh in the Premier League, 17 points behind Arsenal and Manchester United.

Jonathan Spector came on for Carlton Cole with nine minutes remaining to make his 17th league appearance of the season, as his team switched to 4-5-1 in the hope of ensuring at least a point.

Before the match, Hammers boss Alan Curbishley had promised his team would attack Liverpool from the off, but opposite number Rafael Benitez recalled his big guns after their FA Cup fright against part-time Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.

Fernando Torres made his mark earliest, testing Robert Green with a long range shot soon after kickoff, then sprinting clear of the defense in the 18th, only to be thwarted by the alert Hammers custodian. Yossi Benayoun also zig-zagged through the backline early on, but fired over.

West Ham replied when Luis Boa Morte skied his shot from six yards into the stands and Noble's free kick deflected via Steve Finnan against the crossbar.

Boa Morte skewed another chance astray before Curbishley rang the changes. Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton replaced Lee Bowyer and the luckless Boa Morte.

The chances came thick and fast now. Liverpool substitute Lucas drilled a shot just wide of the post and Torres was again denied by Green. At the other end, Cole, Freddie Ljungberg and Lucas Neill all came close.

With the contest entering injury time, Etherington picked out Ljungberg and Jamie Carragher tripped the raiding Swede, allowing Noble to step up and do the rest.

On Saturday, the 10th place Hammers visit 18th place Wigan.

Scoring
WHU - Mark Noble 2 (PK) 90'

Line-ups
WHU - Robert Green; Lucas Neill, Anton Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, George McCartney, Lee Bowyer (Dean Ashton 58'), Hayden Mullins, Mark Noble, Fredrik Ljungberg, Luis Boa Morte (Matthew Etherington 58'), Carlton Cole (Jonathan Spector 81')

LIV - Jose Reina; Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Fabio Aurelio, Yossi Benayoun (Ryan Babel 73'), Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Harry Kewell (Lucas 61'), Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt

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HORNETS HELD BY BLADES REVIVAL
Watford maintained the Championship's best away record, tying 1-1 at 15th place Sheffield United on Tuesday to stay third.

Nathan Ellington fired Watford into a 21st minute lead with a grass cutter from the edge of the box, but Australian midfielder David Carney leveled the scores midway through the second half, latching onto Rob Hulse's teasing cross.

Jay DeMerit skippered the Hornets from start to finish and his team will be ruing conceding an equalizer to a side they dominated for 45 minutes. With leaders West Brom losing at Preston, the Hornets remain two points off the top of the Championship.

The trip to Bramall Lane brought back memories of recent tussles between these two promoted and relegated sides, with Watford looking to bounce back from their sobering 4-1 home reverse to Wolves on Saturday and the loss of talisman Marlon King, sold to Wigan.

After a nervy start on a somewhat ploughed surface, Ellington, the man on whom Hornets striking hopes now rest, settled their nerves with the opening goal.

Former Blade Steven Kabba began the move by taking the ball up the right flank and releasing Lee Williamson. With the yellow jerseys three v two, Williamson threaded the ball through to Ellington, who drilled low past Paddy Kenny from 18 yards.

Ellington missed a chance to double his tally on the half hour mark when delaying his shot from Jobi McAnuff's assist, but Watford entered the dressing rooms in the lead after Rob Hulse headed Gary Naysmith's cross over the bar.

A minute after halftime, Adrian Mariappa forced Kenny into a reflex save after the Blades failed to clear a corner.

The home team upped their game thereafter, eventually equalizing in the 67th when Carney was offered a simple tap-in from two yards out after Hulse's cross avoided a crowded box.

With 15 minutes to go, Lee saved one-handed from a Hulse header as the Blades sharpened their grip on the half. Five minutes later, another Lee save proved crucial, this time from striker Luton Shelton.

Watford held firm as their hosts finished the stronger, a point apiece probably a fair conclusion.

Following Saturday's traumatic Cup exit, Watford will hope to have no déjà vu when they host Wolves at Vicarage Road in the league this Saturday.

Scoring
WAT - Nathan Ellington 2 (Lee Williamson) 21'
SU - David Carney 1 (Rob Hulse) 67'

Line-ups
SU - Paddy Kenny; Leigh Bromby, Chris Morgan, Ugo Ehiogu, Gary Naysmith, Lee Hendrie (David Carney 46'), Gary Speed, Stephen Quinn (Michael Tonge 78'), Lee Martin, Rob Hulse, Luton Shelton (Chris Armstrong 82')

WAT - Richard Lee; Adrian Mariappa, Matthew Sadler, Jay DeMerit, Lloyd Doyley, Tommy Smith, John-Joe O'Toole, Jobi McAnuff (Jordan Stewart 77'), Lee Williamson, Steve Kabba, Nathan Ellington (Al Bangura 84')

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ON THE SIDELINE
Frankie Simek and Zak Whitbread remained on the treatment table, Simek missing Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 slip at Wolves, which keeps the Owls a point above the drop zone. Whitbread missed Millwall's 1-0 win at fellow relegation challengers Cheltenham.