Andy Carroll's dramatic late equaliser boosted West Ham's Premier League survival hopes - and took Stoke City closer to the Championship.

The hosts are seven points clear of the relegation zone, with Stoke five points adrift of safety with four games left.

Stoke looked set for a first win in 10 games when Peter Crouch took advantage of Joe Hart's fumble to score.

But fellow substitute Carroll, in his first appearance since January, volleyed home a last-minute equaliser.

The Hammers thought they had won the game when Javier Hernandez scored in injury time, but it was disallowed for a Carroll handball in the build-up.

It was the third goal they had ruled out in the game. On the first occasion Marko Arnautovic was offside when he headed home - and then he was interfering with play from Edimilson Fernandes' shot.

All three decisions were correct calls by referee Michael Oliver, following a difficult few days in which he and his wife have been harassed after he awarded Real Madrid a last-minute penalty against Juventus and sent off Gianluigi Buffon in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Is Stoke's 10-year Premier League stay coming to an end?

Stoke City felt they were unlucky in recent defeats by Arsenal and Tottenham, and manager Paul Lambert said they had to get "something" out of this game at London Stadium. But this will feel like another loss, having come so close to only a second win in his reign.

They did not have too many clear goal-scoring chances with Ramadan Sobhi, Moritz Bauer and Mame Biram Diouf all producing straightforward saves from Joe Hart in the first half.

Stoke's best chance - bar the goal - came moments after Arnautovic's disallowed goal when Diouf blazed over from six yards out.

Lambert had to be brave and he was when he brought on 37-year-old Crouch for midfielder Moritz Bauer, who is usually a defender.

It looked as if it had paid off in some style when Hart spilled Xherdan Shaqiri's shot and Crouch turned home from close range.

Stoke have been in the Premier League for 10 years - and Crouch's goal made him the Potters' top scorer in that spell, with strike number 44 taking him past Jon Walters.

But unless they have a turnaround in fortune in the final four games, he will not have many more chances to extend that record.

Has Carroll saved West Ham?

West Ham are now seven points above the relegation zone - it would have been four but for Carroll's late intervention.

Just as Lambert gambled to bring on Crouch, Hammers boss David Moyes did the same when he introduced fellow ex-England striker Carroll, who had not played since January because of an ankle injury, in the 86th minute.

Four minutes later, he was celebrating an excellent equaliser as he swung a boot at Aaron Cresswell's cross from near the penalty spot.

All of the Hammers' three disallowed goals seemed fair decisions. Arnautovic, a former Potters player, was just offside when he headed in Cresswell's shot.

He was then standing in Jack Butland's eyeline when Fernandes scored from distance. And Carroll did appear to control the ball with his arm before laying it off to fellow substitute Hernandez.

What's next?

Stoke City are at home to Europa League-chasing Burnley on Sunday (13:30 BST), while West Ham visit Arsenal at the same time.