Everton 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

Belgium winger Kevin Mirallas has scored eight goals in all competitions for Everton this season

• Injured Mirallas subbed after penalty miss

• West Brom unbeaten since Pulis took charge

• Everton winless in six league games

• West Brom four points above drop zone

Kevin Mirallas's missed penalty proved costly for Everton as they were held by West Brom, leaving the Toffees winless in their last six league games.

Everton were awarded a spot-kick after Joleon Lescott handled but Mirallas, who took it instead of regular taker Leighton Baines, struck the post.

Mirallas was then withdrawn at half-time by Everton boss Roberto Martinez.

West Brom had few chances at Goodison Park but hung on and are unbeaten since Tony Pulis took over as head coach.

Everton were in contention for a Champions League place at this stage last season, but following this result they look more likely to be involved in a relegation battle in the remainder of this campaign.

The Merseyside club are now 17 points off Manchester United in fourth and only four points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Martinez conceded before the game that Everton must show they can satisfy the ambitions of Belgium international Mirallas before he commits to a new contract.

However, it was the 27-year-old winger's penalty miss which proved so costly here after he elected to take the spot-kick rather than Baines, even though the Everton left-back boasts a conversion rate of 15 out of 16 kicks taken.

West Brom, organised and disciplined since Pulis took over at the start of the year following the sacking of Alan Irvine, were intent on packing men behind the ball which meant Everton were restricted to shooting opportunities from distance in the first half.

Mirallas, so impressive in Everton's dramatic FA Cup exit on penalties at West Ham last week, came in for the suspended Aiden McGeady and he struck a 25-yard effort straight at visiting goalkeeper Ben Foster early on.

An attacking foray from Baines won a free-kick in a dangerous position for the Toffees before the half-hour mark but Foster anticipated Mirallas's curling effort to claim the ball with relative comfort.

Despite dominating possession, Everton struggled to break down West Brom's defence. However, they were awarded a penalty shortly before half-time when the ball bounced off striker Romelu Lukaku's chest and struck the hand of West Brom centre-back Lescott.

Mirallas stepped up to take the spot-kick, and saw his low effort strike the outside of the post. Martinez then withdrew Mirallas - who he later explained was injured - at the interval and sent on Bryan Oviedo.

Everton fans were treated to a half-time video message from Sylvester Stallone as a scene was filmed for his upcoming Rocky spin-off Creed, but it did little to inspire things on the pitch in the second half.

West Brom showed greater ambition with the movement of striker Saido Berahino giving the Everton defence plenty to think about, although Toffees goalkeeper Joel Robles did not really have a save of note to make.

An intricate Everton passing move with 15 minutes left presented Lukaku with a chance inside the box, but he lost his footing at the crucial moment and sent his shot past the post.

West Brom saw out the remainder of the game to clinch a deserved point which lifted them above Aston Villa on goal difference and into 14th spot with 22 points.

West Brom head coach Tony Pulis:

"There are lots of things we have to improve on and obviously we have to do it quickly because we need the points to stay up.

"We've only had a few days to really get down to working with the team and the shape and today they worked so hard off the ball.

"I don't think they've done a lot of what we've brought to the football club before but they've embraced it and they've got on with it and when you get results that's the most important thing because that sells it to the players.

"We're far away from being where we want to be but the spirit and the effort and commitment of the players and the way they got back into their shape at times was very, very good."

West Brom's Joleon Lescott, who gave away the penalty, made 113 league appearances for Everton

Everton left-back Leighton Baines has converted 15 out of 16 penalties in his career

Romelu Lukaku has not scored a Premier League goal since Everton's 1-1 draw with Hull in December

Tony Pulis (right) has not lost a game since he replaced Alan Irvine as West Brom head coach

Everton fan Sylvester Stallone delivered a half-time message to the Goodison Park crowd as a scene was filmed for his upcoming Rocky spin-off Creed.