Late penalty saves labouring Blues

, 19 November, 63comments  |  Jump to most recent
Everton 2 - 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Match Summary

Everton go into this game sitting low on the edge of the relegation places after a horrendous spell of results against the 'top' teams, six losses out of seven.

Phil Neville, Sylvain Distin and Jack Rodwell were all surprise absentees from the starting Everton starting line-up selected by David Moyes, who has gone with the ineffective Cahill and the non-scoring Saha as his spearhead to breakdown a stubborn Wolves team. Marouane Fellaini returns from suspension and Phil Jagielka has another pain-killing jab to enable him to play. No place for youngster Ross Barkley, who was on the bench.

Everton had a couple of early chances, first Coleman having a shot and then Drenthe getting a chance to put in a decent cross from the byeline but it was straight at Hennessey. Coleman was well involved in the early stages but as ever, that final ball into the area was next to useless.

Drenthe did well to get on a good forward ball from Cahill down the left but his brilliant cross was wasted as there was no-one there. Cahill and Saha then combined well off a looping Drenthe cross from the right but Henessey flicked Saha's snapshot over the bar as the Blues finally upped the tempo after 15 mins. Drenthe again crossed well but straight to Hennessey.

A promising free-kick was worked between Drenthe and Baines but defended too easily and Wolves ran off on the break to win their first corner. A great play by Drenthe let Baines cut back a good ball but it was again just too easy for Hennessey with Fellaini waiting behind him.

Everton looked lively enough and strived to get the ball forward when they got it but the naivety of their attacking play at times was criminal with crosses repeatedly played too early, too loose, or to no-one in a decent position. Despite plenty of possession, the laboured build-up play lacked the guile needed to get through a Wolves defence that was effectively outnumbering the severely limited Blues attacking forces, who were playing too deep to be effective, with the threat of a quick break from the visitors, and the need to keep defensive shape seemingly foremost in their minds.

And so it was little surprise when Wolves were gifted a penalty on 37 mins when Edwards conveniently fell over Fellaini's lazily extended leg and Hunt converted with ease, leaving Everton with what looked ominously like a mountain to climb.

Another promising free-kick was finally executed properly, Baines curling it in for Jagielka to power it home off the back of his head from amidst a crowd of defenders. Good goal. Drenthe looked to be away but a brilliant challenge from Berra denied him as the first half came to a much more lively close, with Fellaini firing in a fierce shot as Henry pushed off Cahill to prevent him from reaching the rebound and the Park End howling somewhat hopefully for a penalty.

Osman laid an inviting ball for Baines but Hennessey was out sharply, and the ball later fell to Fellaini who fired over when a shot on target was required. Stearman fell awkwardly, possibly breaking his wrist after clashing with Cahill, and went off after a long stoppage as the hour mark approached, and the game went through a dreadful spell of meaningless scrappiness and lack of any discernible shape, It was dreadful stuff but Moyes held back on his usual substitutions as the hour-mark passed... epitomized by Howard and Jagielka exchanging five passes, both incapable of moving the ball forward.

Eventuially the ball got to the Wolves are where Saha set up Drenthe but his shot was poor. Everton were poor... the game was poor... in fact let's not mince words. It was pathetic stuff, Wolves content to sit on their point, Moyes utterly moribund, refusing for once to change things.

Finally, some penetration from Coleman, crossing well for Saha who set up Cahill to score from 3 yards... only he somehow failed, with Hennessey and Ward combining to keep the ball out of the Wolves net. Then, a tremendous chance worked by Drenthe but instead of shooting from close range, he chose to lay it back for Saha who had the ball nicked off his toe.

With less than 20 mins left, Moyes finally accepted that Cahill was not going to score and he put Vellios on in his place. But it made little difference, the midfield passing really letting Everton down at times. After a series of corners that were doing little Everton incrediby won a penalty for pushing in the area and Baines sent Hennessey the wrong way from the spot, Hallelujah!

Into 5 mins of added time and Baines gave away a rash free-kick that O'hara powered fractionally over the angle, and a huge sigh of relief from the dwindling Goodison crowd, now far less than 33,953.

With less about a minute before the whistle, Saha conjured up and missed another strike, and was replaced by Stracqualursi before the final cheer greeted a vital and all-too-rare home win after a rather forgettable exhibition of depressingly poor football.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Osman, Drenthe, Cahill, Saha. Subs: Mucha, Bilyaletdinov, Stracqualursi, Gueye, Barkley, Vellios, Mustafi.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Edwards, Henry, Milijas, Hunt, O'Hara, Doyle. Subs: De Vries, Elokobi, Craddock, Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher, Jarvis, Guedioura.

Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)

Michael Kenrick

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