Tim Howard and Everton stayed hot with a win over West Ham and Brad Friedel's Rovers were shell-shocked by Wigan, while Fulham, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday all suffered last gasp winners.

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TOFFEES EASE PAST WEST HAM
Everton continued their fine run of form on Saturday, moving up the table with a solid 2-0 win over West Ham.

Tim Howard started and played the full 90 in goal for the Toffees, while Jonathan Spector was an unused substitute for the visiting Hammers. The result was the second time in three days West Ham lost to Everton after Ayegbeni Yakubu struck the winning goal in their mid-week Carling Cup battle.

It was the Nigerian that struck first this time, finishing off some good passing work from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta at the death of the first half.

The second half saw West Ham try desperately for an equalizer, but none would come despite all of the Hammer's forays forward.

They were punished for their wastefulness at the death of the match, with Andy Johnson coolly finishing past Robert Green from distance to seal the 2-0 win.

Scoring
EVE - Ayegbeni Yakubu 9 (Tim Cahill) 45'
EVE - Andrew Johnson 3 90'

Line-ups
WHU - Robert Green; Lucas Neill, James Collins, Matthew Upson, George McCartney, Nolberto Solano (Mark Noble 58'), Scott Parker, Hayden Mullins (Kyle Reed 78'), Fredrik Ljungberg, Dean Ashton, Carlton Cole (Henri Camara 45')

EVE - Tim Howard; Phil Neville, Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman, Lee Carsley, Steven Pienaar, Tim Cahill, Ayegbeni Yakubu (Andrew Johnson 86')

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ROVERS DROP 8-GOAL THRILLER
The Premiership's most thrilling game this season could not have come at a worse time for Brad Friedel and Blackburn, as the American keeper was hit up for five goals in Blackburn's 5-3 away loss to Wigan.

With both Everton and Manchester City winning at the weekend, the loss puts a dent in Blackburn's hopes of a European place, keeping them at ninth in the table with only one win in seven games.

Indeed, things looked bleak for Blackburn almost from the outset, as Denny Landzaat put Wigan ahead after only 10 minutes.

Darren Bent scored the first goal of his eventual hat trick just two minutes later, while a header from Paul Scharner gave the hosts an early 3-0 advantage.

Blackburn had a chance to pull one back not long afterwards when they were awarded a penalty kick, with Emile Heskey adjudged to have handled Christopher Samba a little too roughly on a corner kick. However, Benni McCarthy's spot kick was terribly hit and well saved by Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

Roque Santa Cruz seemed to be the only Blackburn player who didn't give up so easily, scoring the first of his three goals on the stroke of halftime to give Rovers a gleam of hope going into the interval.

Perhaps because of the goal, Blackburn came out with substantially more life in the second half, with Santa Cruz scoring his second only five minutes in off a free kick parried away by Kirkland.

Despite the sending off of Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton, Santa Cruz would complete what seemed to be Man of the Match heroics just 11 minutes afterwards with a fine headed goal off a Stephen Warnock cross.

But it just wasn't to be for Rovers, who couldn't overcome their one-man disadvantage, as Marcus Bent finished a nice square ball from Antonio Valencia to give Wigan the lead before adding insult to injury by scoring his third 10 minutes from time.

Scoring
WIG - Denny Landzaat 3 (Marcus Bent) 10'
WIG - Marcus Bent 4 12'
WIG - Paul Scharner 3 (Ryan Taylor) 37'
BLA - Roque Santa Cruz 5 45'
BLA - Roque Santa Cruz 6 (Steven Reid) 50'
BLA - Roque Santa Cruz 7 (Stephen Warnock) 61'
WIG - Marcus Bent 5 (Antonio Valencia) 66'
WIG - Marcus Bent 6 (Julius Agahowa) 81'

Line-ups
WIG - Chris Kirkland; Ryan Taylor (Salomon Olembe 89'), Emmerson Boyce, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Antonio Valencia, Michael Brown, Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Marcus Bent, Emile Heskey [Julius Aghahowa 40' (Andreas Granqvist 90')]

BLA - Brad Friedel; Brett Emerton, Christopher Samba, Ryan Nelsen, Stephen Warnock, David Bentley, Steven Reid, Robbie Savage, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Benedict McCarthy (Matt Derbyshire 74'), Roque Santa Cruz (David Dunn 90')

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LATE TOON PK DOOMS FULHAM
Fulham's bad luck in the second half of games this year continued on Saturday, as the Cottagers fell 1-0 to Newcastle thanks to a Joey Barton penalty at the death.

Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey each went the distance for Fulham, who will add the result to the multitude of late collapses that have cost them points this season.

In truth, though, the game itself was little to write home about, with neither team looking particularly interested in scoring in the first half. Passing was inaccurate and sloppy, and attacking play was more or less nonexistent.

The second half wasn't much better, though Hameur Bouazza and David Healy tried their best to make a game of it with chances just after the interval.

The game looked destined for a 0-0 draw until birthday boy Elliot Omozusi clumsily brought down Alan Smith in the box in the 90th minute, after which Barton coolly finished the spot kick.

Scoring
NEWC - Joey Barton (PK) 1 90'

Line-ups
FUL - Antti Niemi; Elliot Omozusi, Aaron Hughes, Dejan Stefanovic, Carlos Bocanegra, Simon Davies, Danny Murphy, Steven Davis (Shefki Kuqi 75'), Hameur Bouazza, David Healy, Clint Dempsey

NEWC - Shay Given; Charles N'Zogbia, David Rozenhal, Claudio Caçapa, Habib Beye, Geremi (Emre 59'), Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, James Milner, Alan Smith, Obafemi Martins (Mark Viduka 77')

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WATFORD NIPPED NEAR TIME
Watford lost for the fourth time in six tries, falling from the Championship penthouse after a heartbreaking 1-0 home loss to Plymouth.

Jay DeMerit wore the captain's armband while working 90 minutes in central defense.

The best chance of the first half was stymied when Richard Lee tipped over a clever effort from Argyle midfielder Peter Halmosi.

Tommy Smith went close early in the second half when his dipping shot caught the post, but it was Plymouth who would again pile on most of the pressure.

In the 89th minute, Barry Hayles ran free on the right to cross for David Norris, who slotted home the winner.

Scoring
PLY - David Norris 5 (Barry Hayles) 89'

Line-ups
WAT - Richard Lee; Lloyd Doyley, Jackson, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Stewart (Adrian Mariappa 72'), Tommy Smith, John Joe O'Toole, Lee Williamson, Lionel Ainsworth (Damien Francis 46'), Marlon King, Tamas Priskin (Nathan Ellington 65')

PLY - Roman Larrieu; Gary Sawyer, Krisztian Timar, Marcel Seip, Lee Hodges, Dan Gosling, David Norris, Nadjim Abdou, Peter Halmosi, Barry Hayles, Jermaine Easter

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SIMEK HURT AS OWLS SUFFER
Sheffield Wednesday's slump continued as youngster Sean Scannell hit a last gasp winner to lift Crystal Palace to a 2-1 decision.

Frank Simek got the start, as usual, but was lifted with a twisted ankle in the 27th minute.

The visitors got off the mark first as Richard Hinds pounced on a Simek rebound to open in the 11th minute.

Marcus Tudgay was guilty of unselfishness in the 35th minute, passing for a weak Glenn Whelan shot when he would have been better off pulling the trigger himself.

Two minutes later, Ireland international Clinton Morrison leveled matters by converting a Mark Hudson cross.

Near the hour, Wednesday threatened to regain the lead twice, only to have Palace keeper Julián Speroni go flat out to stop a drive from Simek replacement Lee Bullen and Jermaine Johnson strike woodwork.

In the final minute, Scannell collected a Tom Soares rebound to chip Owls keeper Lee Grant for the deciding goal.

Scoring
WED - Richard Hinds 2 11'
CP - Clinton Morrison 9 (Mark Hudson) 37'
CP - Sean Scannell 1 90'

Line-ups
CP - Julián Speroni; Matthew Lawrence, Lee Hills, Mark Hudson, Danny Butterfield, Tom Soares, Ben Watson (Dave Martin 69'), Shaun Derry, Franck Songo'o (Sean Scannell 57'), Jamie Scowcroft, Clinton Morrison (Carl Fletcher 90')

WED - Lee Grant; Frank Simek (Lee Bullen 28'), Richard Hinds, Michael Johnson, Tommy Spurr, Glenn Whelan, Steve Watson, Jermaine Johnson, Burton O'Brien, Wade Small (Etienne Esajas 90'), Marcus Tudgay

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WHITBREAD STRIKES IN LIONS LOSS
A hat trick from Lee Hughes propelled Oldham to a 3-2 victory over Millwall.

Hughes scored from five yards out to give Oldham the lead in the 32nd minute.

Jay Simpson equalized six minutes later, but he was ejected from the match after receiving his second yellow for excessive celebration.

Zak Whitbread, who went the full 90 in defense, headed home just before the half to put Millwall up 2-1.

A penalty kick from Hughes evened the score in the 74th minute. The third from Hughes, a volley in the 80th minute, sealed the win for Oldham.

Scoring
OLD - Lee Hughes 3 32'
MIL - Jay Simpson 2 (Paul Robinson) 38'
MIL - Zak Whitbread 3 (Dave Brammer) 45'
OLD - Lee Hughes 4 (PK) 74'
OLD - Lee Hughes 5 80'

Line-ups
MIL - Lenny Pidgeley; Marcus Bignot, Danny Senda, Paul Robinson, Zak Whitbread, Bryan Hodge, Dave Brammer, Jay Simpson, Ali Fuseini (Adebayo Akinfenwa 82'), Gary Alexander, Will Hoskins

OLD - Mark Crossley; Neil Eardley, Neal Trotman, Stefan Stam, Ryan Bertrand, Chris Taylor, Gary McDonald (Dean Smalley 46'), Neil Kilkenny, Mark Allott, Lee Hughes (Reuben Hazell 85'), Craig Davies

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DONS RAID PETERBOROUGH
MK Dons extended its lead atop the League Two table with a 2-1 victory over Peterborough.

Jemal Johnson made a five-minute cameo after coming on in the 85th minute.

Kevin Gallen first put MK Dons ahead with a strike from the top of the box in the 57th minute.

Ten minutes later, Keith Andrews doubled the lead with a tally from inside of the box.

Aaron Mclean stole one back for Peterborough when he finished Charlie Lee's shot off the cross bar.

Scoring
MKD - Kevin Gallen 3 (Keith Andrews) 57'
MKD - Keith Andrews 9 67'
PET - Aaron Mclean 15 75'

Line-ups
PET - Mark Tyler; Claude Gnakpa, Shane Blackett, Craig Morgan, Jamie Day, Joshua Low (Jeff Hughes 64'), Charlie Lee (Rene Howe 85'), Micah Hyde, George Boyd, Aaron Mclean, Craig Mackail-Smith

MKD - Willy Gueret; Drissa Diallo, Sean O'Hanlon, Danny Swailes, Dean Lewington, Mark Wright, Alan Navarro, Colin Cameron (Jemal Johnson 85'), Keith Andrews, Kevin Gallen (Aaron Wilbraham 77'), Lloyd Dyer (Jude Stirling 71')

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ON THE SIDELINE
Benny Feilhaber did not make the match day squad and Eddie Lewis was an unused substitute in Derby County's 1-0 home loss to Middlesbrough.

Injured defender Cory Gibbs did not take part in Charlton's 4-2 loss at West Bromwich Albion.