Match Summary
Ferguson has a groin injury, allowing the dynamic pairing of Rooney and Radzinski to link up front, while Stubbs takes the armband. Kevin Kilbane returns for the disappointing McFadden, who continues to struggle with football at Premiership level.
Naysmith is in the defence at left-back despite a niggling groin strain that will likely need surgery at the end of the season, and has seen him withdrawn from the Scotland squad.
Some nervy stuff early on nearly caught Everton out after 5 mins when a long ball reached Job who tested Martyn with his shot. And a minute later he did the same again! It was 15 mins before Rooney and Radzinski combined for Everton's first chance, a promising shot that hit the side netting.
Rooney was making more and more of an impression on the game, breaking well past Southgate and lay off a great ball for Watson. As the half developed, Everton got more and more of the action, but were not getting enough players into the Boro area to make it tell. Rooney had another great run through the Boro defence, a great shot, fractionally wide.
Naysmith delivered a nice free kick in that Stubbs headed point-blank at Schwarzer... a glorious chance! More pressure with a corner from Gravesen that was perfect for Rooney but bounced away from the goal. Another good attack followed with Everton pressing hard for the first goal as Rooney' shot was touched over for another corner. Still no first-half Everton goal this year!
David Unsworth appeared for the second-half in place of Stubbs (injured?), making his 300th appearance for Everton, and taking the captain's armband. Another promising chance for Rooney followed after some great build-up but still no score.
The second half was less lively, although Everton continued to plug away. Moyes was finally moving to bring Jeffers on as he game seemed to be drifting relentlessly to a 0-0 draw — something missing from this fixture in 70 years — when Radzinski did the business, running in to drive the ball low under Schwarzer and breaking the deadlock.
Unsworth was then forced to head off the line and save Everton but it was to no avail as the equalizer was forced in from a short corner after an almighty scramble, with Job claiming it off a ricochet (although it would eventually be awarded to Yobo as an own-goal — it came off his knee last). Maddening!
It finally spurred action from Moyes, Jeffers coming on for Watson with barely 5 mins to make an impression on this game. Rooney picked up an injury but stayed on the field.
A great little flick from Jeffers set up Radzinski for his second goal only to see Schwarzer react superbly to snap up the ball.
Stoppage time and Rooney was blocked on the Dee, giving Everton one final chance from a perfect dead-ball opportunity. But Rooney's shot was high and wide: why can't we ever score from those chances?
Positives? Not many. Five-game unbeaten run: best sequence for FOURTEEN MONTHS! Is that good or bad?
Everton 2-1 Middlesbro
2003-04 Match Reports Index
Match Preview
The consolation from last weekend's controversial draw with Leicester City, which saw the Blues drop two vital points when they conceded an injury time equaliser, was that the point gained at the Walkers Stadium marked the first time Everton have managed to go four games uneaten this season.
The game will live in the memory for an appalling refereeing performance by Barry Knight and Duncan Ferguson's first half dismissal that, ironically spurred David Moyes's side to better things in the second 45 minutes.
Unfortunately, Moyes is sticking with Captain Liability and Ferguson is likely to start alongside Wayne Rooney despite the vital efforts of Tomasz Radzinski in recent games — indeed it is precisely the Canadian's impact coming off the bench which is keeping him in the "super sub" role.
At the back, David Weir serves the second of his three game suspension but Tony Hibbert could replace Alessandro Pistone at right back and Kevin Kilbane is a good bet to return in left midfield after missing the Leicester game through paternity leave. Despite every Evertonian urging him to show what he is made of, James McFadden continues to struggle.
Steve McLaren welcomes back Boudewijn Zenden and George Boateng after suspension as he seeks to build on the bizarre 5-3 win over Birmingham last weekend.
'Boro have two wins already over Everton this season, having somehow come away with three points from the first Premiership encounter at The Riverside in September and then overcoming the Blues in a penalty shootout in the Carling Cup.
Moyes will be looking for a third consecutive home win to put pressure on the clutch of clubs vying for an outside chance of UEFA Cup qualification.
Matchday Stats
This will be the 117th meeting between Everton and Middlesbrough in all competitions, and the 58th at Goodison Park. This match will be the 18th meeting in the Premier League.
Everton's full record against Middlesbrough is:
P
W
D
L
F
A
Premier League
17
7
4
6
30
22
Division One
84
41
20
23
147
115
FA Cup
11
5
2
18
15
League Cup
0
TOTALS:
116
54
31
202
157
Our record at Goodison Park against Middlesbrough is:
8
9
42
3
102
13
1
57
39
135
59
The last match between the two sides was earlier this season on 3 December when, yet again, Everton lost a penalty shoot-out, 5-4, after the League Cup tie between the sides ended 0-0. The last Premier League meeting between Everton and Middlesbrough was on 21 September, earlier this season, when Middlesbrough won 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium. The last meeting between the sides at Goodison Park was on 14 September 2002 when a brace of goals from Kevin Campbell secured a 2-1 victory.
Everton's biggest victory at home against Middlesbrough is 5-0 on 17 February 1999 with the goals being shared between Nick Barmby (2), Olivier Dacourt, Marco Materazzi and David Unsworth. Middlesbrough's biggest victory at Goodison Park is 2-0 which has happened on two occasions on 10 November 1979 and 14 May 2000.
The most common victory for Everton is 2-1 which has happened seven times in Everton's 39 victories. Middlesbrough's most common victory is shared between 2-0 and 3-2, which have both happened twice in their five victories at Goodison Park. The most common draw between the sides is 1-1, which has happened seven times out of the 13 draws in total.
Everton's record for 27 March is:
14
16
Division Two
This will be the second meeting between the sides. The only other meeting between the sides was also the last time Everton played on this date when, in 1989, the two sides battled out a 3-3 draw in the old Division One. It was, of course, 7 years ago on this day that the club announced the departure of Joe Royle as manager by 'Mutual Consent'. Joe has the fourth best managerial record at the club behind Howard Kendall, Harry Catterick and Colin Harvey. During his tenure the club played 119 matches, winning 47, drawing 37, losing 35, scoring 174 goals and conceding 140 in all competitions, as well as being only the third manager in the club's history to win a trophy thanks to the 1995 FA Cup win.
Milestone's that can be reached in this game:
Steve Flanagan
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Steve Milne