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After a two-week break in which Rooney took the opportunity to set another massive record — the most articles written about a footballer ever in one 7-day spell — Moyes and his boys get back down to business at Goodison Park.

After an ultimately disappointing defeat down at the Valley, thanks in part to Mr Winter — bitter blaming of Ref?  Yep, but hardly unwarranted — we welcome the third surprise European contender this year: Southampton.

Just like ourselves and Charlton, their manager deserves a large degree of praise for taking an unfancied bunch of players, organising them, and instilling them with the confidence to take on the so-called elite and on occasion beat them.

However, I would suggest that, whilst Charlton and ourselves have succeeded thanks to a well-balanced team, Southampton's success is done predominantly to an excellent run of form by James Beattie.  Whilst harsh, you may still claim that if you stop Beattie you stop Southampton.

Stopping Beattie may fall to Stubbs or Yobo if Stubbs is still struggling to overcome his ankle injury.  Personally, whilst Stubbs has been outstanding, I would love to see Yobo get back in the team and be given a chance to reacquire his early-season form that was nothing short of outstanding.

In midfield, Watson should be fit again and I imagine he  will go straight back in to the side leaving Moyes having to drop one of Gravesen, Li Tie, or Gemmill.  Surely Gemmill!!

Southampton's midfield with Fernandes is extremely pretty and given time they can certainly pass the ball.  Deny them the time, put pressure on them, and you can force them back.  Svensson has little steel and, whilst Oakley will try, Gravesen has far more class.

Upfront is again ultra competitive.  Radz and McBride or Rooney and Campbell?  Can we ignore a present England international and leave Rooney on the bench?  Do we break up a partnership that has seen us win 3 games in the last 4 and scored 7 in the last 5 games?

I simply don't know — That is what Moyes gets paid for (though I don't think I could leave Rooney out anymore — just how damn good is he!!)

The nation — the World — will be watching on TV again and we have a chance to go equal on points with Chelsea again.  Europe still beckons and so must those vital 3 points!

3-1 BlueForEver

Lee Doyle

Last Gasp Tomasz earns Blues Just Desserts

For football supporters of all Clubs, games like today's come along perhaps once or twice a season and — as my mother remarked sagely after the match — it makes you feel sorry for people with no interest in football.  Here was a game with everything: trailing at half time, Everton battered away only to find a keeper on the very top of his game; we were treated to the dramatic entry of one Wayne Rooney who proceeded to provide a pinpoint cross for the first goal; and then, deep into the 93rd minute, a fabulous winner from Tomasz Radzinski, redeeming himself after numerous customary misses.  It was a moment that virtually lifted the roof off the old stadium.

In truth, the way the game started gave no hint as to the drama that was to unfold...

Line up

In my report on the Charlton game, I commented that Gravesen had made 'an unarguable case for selection'.  Obviously, Moyes knows best, but I was rather glum as I saw Gemmill and Lie Tie lining up in central midfield.  This meant, with Stubbsy recovered from the knock he took at Charlton, that the only change was the restoration of Steve Watson to the right of midfield.

First Half

Whether it was the early morning kick off, or the two-week break, we struggled to pick up the pace at all in the first half.  Southampton were no better and most of the half seemed more like a practice match, or an end-of-season affair.  It was simply lifeless.  To be fair, while creating very little by way of chances, we dominated the game, with Li Tie showing good touches in midfield.

Southampton had obviously done their homework, however; Pistone and Watson, such a barnstorming combination down the right in recent games, were unable to get in to the game in any attacking sense.  On more than one occasion, we were left very exposed at the back, with there being no protection for the defence from midfield whatever.

From one such situation, Southampton almost scored.  Li Tie gave the ball away and suddenly the defence was back-pedalling, outnumbered by attackers.  From the break down the middle, the ball was fed to Beattie in a promising position on the left but fortunately he lacked the confidence for a left-footed finish, tried to find a colleague at the far post, and the danger was cleared. 

Shortly later, disaster struck.  David Weir made a horrendous error in stepping beyond Beattie to play him offside.  Even had the rest of the back four been aware that he was about to step up and moved out with him, the fact is that Weir himself was playing Beattie on when the ball was kicked.  The result was the ball bouncing through to Beattie on the edge of the box in 15 yards of pace; he was able to keep his head and lift it over the advancing Richard Wright and just beyond a scrambling Pistone into the net.

We were undeservedly but not altogether unsurprisingly behind; moments later, it almost got much much worse as a horribly sliced clearance by Wright spun up into the air and fell to a Saints striker who was dispossessed by what looked suspiciously like an illegal last ditch challenge from Stubbsy.  Ellearay, amazingly, let it go...

So we reached half-time one goal down.  We'd had our moments, mainly involving Radzinski, but nothing that hinted at the dramatic second half we were to witness.

Second Half

Moyesey, as ever, gave his starting line-up the chance to put things right, though if he'd shaken it up a little earlier, perhaps we wouldn't have been leaving things to the last gasp.  Anyway, from the off, there was a new purpose about the side. 

We had our first real opening when Radzinski shrugged off his marker and got clear one-on-one with the keeper only to seem to be caught in two minds between shooting and lobbing, then ending up patting what amounted to little more than a back-pass into the arms of Niemi.  Then, Radzinski again, broke down the right, turned the defender in the box and teed up Gary Naysmith for a belting effort from the edge of the box bringing a brilliant one handed tip-over from the keeper.

We really were battering them, though we had one scare ourselves when a fine cross from their left found Beattie unmarked where our left back should have been.  He set himself and produced an absolutely textbook volley for which Wrighty had positioned himself brilliantly to keep out.

Fifteen minutes or so gone, and some action from the bench: SuperKev replacing McBride, who had provided plenty of perspiration but little inspiration and been well marshalled by the Saints defencep; and Gravesen replacing… Li Tie! — Gemmill somehow being chosen to stay on.  Immediately, SuperKev in particular made a difference, putting himself about with real determination.  Then five minutes later and still no goal, on comes the Boy Wonder — with just 20 minutes or so left to inspire an increasingly unlikely looking comeback.

From this point on, events, other than the goals of course, became rather a blur, as we were absolutely battering them, and carving out chance after chance.  We seemed to have around fifteen corners in the last quarter of the game, all of which were scrambled away or brilliantly dealt with by their keeper.  From one in particular, Wayne Rooney connected with a volley at full power from about six yards out only for the keeper to produce a truly unbelievable save.  When the keeper was beaten, defenders came scrambling to the rescue, and one header from Campbell seemed to hit a defender in the face before bobbling across the face of goal and being cleared from just in front of the onrushing Wayne Rooney.

Amidst the relentless bombardments, Campbell got free but lobbed just over.  Then Campbell played in Radzinski superbly and the Canadian fired a rocket which smashed the top the post — little did we know he was merely range-finding for his fabulous finalé.

Then, just when it looked like being one of those days, the goal we had threatened finally arrived.  Unsworth once again bypassed the midfield with a probing ball down the left.  A superb pinpoint cross by Rooney, and there was Radzinski with a brilliant spring, rising between two of the tallest defenders ion the Premiership to send a perfectly directed and unstoppable header into the back of the net.

The sensation of relief was palpable; but could we go on to get the winner?

We maintained our tempo in the last seven minutes and threatened on a couple of occasions, but the charmed life of the Southampton goal continued.  Two minutes of the allotted three minutes of stoppage time played, and we conceded a corner.  Saints are of course trying to run the clock down.  They get a throw in, again in our corner.  It goes into our box, a bit of pinball, Wrighty gathers and launches it upfield where Radzinski has four defenders for company.

The ball is cleared to the arriving Gravesen, he feeds Radzinski on the right still with plenty of defenders in attendance.  Radzinski sprints in to the box and absolutely hammers an unstoppable shot right into the top corner!!!!  You beauty!!!!  An absolutely fabulous strike to send the crowd delirious!!!!  Ninety-two minutes and fifty odd seconds on the clock!!!!  What a brilliant way to seal three points!!!!

A match-winning performance from Radzinski.  OK, he missed a few chances but he created problems all afternoon with his running and his pace.  The goal was brilliant and he'd been unlucky to hit the post with a dress rehearsal from the exact same spot a few minutes earlier.

Verdict

After a pretty poor first half, just about everyone did well in the second half, but the substitutes, together with Radzinski, changed the game.  It gives an interesting selection conundrum for the next game; SuperKev looked really up for it and surely the drive provided by Gravesen in midfield has to be recognised with a starting berth.

These are good dilemmas to have.  On the negative side, I think we are looking exposed on the left flank, and the reinstatement of Tony Hibbert will allow Pistone to move over to left back and give the team a better balance and more solidity defensively.

But for now we can just enjoy the warm glow of a great victory.  We've had a few good games in recent years, but its so much more pleasurable when the last gasp winner consolidates a European spot rather than grabs three precious points in a relegation dogfight.

We now have a couple more winnable fixtures before a tricky run-in but, if we can keep this spirit and determination going, we do not have to fear anyone.

Come on you Blues.

Julian Cashen