Match Summary
There are really no words that convey the importance of winning this match — although that really depends on whether the teams immediately below Everton will continue to falter in their challenge for fourth place. Because Everton have the advantage of three points and a game in hand.
Tim Cahill has made a miraculous recovery and has been declared fit... or he has been pumped full of pain-killers! Hibbert returns at right-back, with Stubbs and Pistone on the bench.
It was a hugely competitive start to the game, with lots of physical challenges going in that helped to raise the already hot to boiling point. Watson got a warning after two fractionally late challenges on Milner but the first real chance came to Everton when Cahill was caught outside the Newcastle box. Arteta's delivery was good, but Given saved very well.
Newcastle were doing better when in possession and twice ran through the heart of the Everton defence with purpose, but thankfully failed to convert. Arteta got another chance to deliver a good free-kick but it was headed away with
Cahill got a superb header in on Given from a deep Arteta cross but he could not direct it away from the Newcastle goalie. Weir was having a torrid time trying to handle the Newcastle attack, with Kluivert getting around him again but firing wide. At the other end, Ferguson sent Bent away brilliantly but his weak shot was simply not good enough.
Carsley earned the first card for a poor tackle on Ameobi and Kluivert really should have scored when the free kick with a free header
But moments before half-time, Bent won a free-kick, delivered superbly by Arteta and David Weir was there unmarked at the far post to head it in powerfully.
The pace and passion continued into the second half but Everton started well with a series of corners and free-kicks, Boumsong coming off worst in a clash of heads. Then Ameobi got taunted by Cahill (who grabbed his shirt) and lashed out needlessly: straight red; yellow for Cahill.
With crowd really up for this one now, Everton went forward with much more purpose, moving the ball on the ground finally, and Arteta's shot went straight to Tim Cahill who had all the time in the world to rifle his eleventh goal of the season into the roof of the Gwladys Street net. Goodison simply exploded.
Beattie came on for Ferguson as Everton calmed the game down with extended periods of keep-ball against the frustrated Geordies. Later, McFadden came on for Bent, who's footballing decisions continue to be puzzling at best, despite undoubted effort and workrate.
Kluivert and Arteta then clashed and both got yellow cards as Shearer came on for Milner with just 7 mins of normal time left. But He could not lift an increasingly toothless Toonie team. Stubbs came on with one minute to go, allowing Tim Cahill to milk the Goodison applause.
Everton tried everything to get Beattie on the scoresheet as the party mood entered full swing, but a header from a great Kilbane cross bobbled just wide.
The game came to an end and Goodison celebrated in fine style as this crucial victory kept Everton firmly in the driving seat to secure fourth place and qualification for the Champions' League next season.
The lap of honour was incredible. The place was absolutely bouncing (the fans mainly singing Cahill's name) and the players all looked absolutely ecstatic. Somehow the rumpus got even louder because Moyes was behind them all, and he was jumping up and down and waving his arms like a kid!
Well done David Moyes and your players — a superb achievement.
Match Preview
Jumping The Gun!
"How can the European champions not defend their title? Liverpool should be allowed to play in next season's Champions League"
Liverpool have not yet won this season's Champions League! "The two Merseyside clubs should play off over two legs and the winners go into the Champions League."
Liverpool have not yet won this season's Champions League. Everton have not yet finished in fourth place! "Everton deserve to keep their place in the Champions League as the rules state that the top four teams qualify and it'd be unfair to change the rules now."
Everton have not yet finished in fourth place!
Ever get the feeling that minds are already elsewhere, speculation rife over certain matters yet to be resolved? We have the small matter of a kickabout with Newcastle United the visitors this coming Saturday, at Goodison Park - sadly, our last home game of what's been a truly marvellous and unexpected season.
Both sides come into this fixture on the back of very different results from trips this past week to Fulham. An inept performance by the Blues in a poor 2-0 defeat ensured the chase for fourth place carried on for another week. Newcastle on the other hand rested Alan Shearer and secured their first away win since last November. Our worry now, of course, is can they achieve back to back away successes for the first time this season? At least they've no Les Ferdinand in their ranks these days, though the presence of a presumably refreshed Alan Shearer should be enough to focus Everton minds. Shearer needs to score one more goal to erase the name of Ferdinand as the most prolific scorer of goals against Everton Football Club. I've grown to like this statistic of Ferdinand's - hopefully it remains intact after Saturday!
We have major concern with the fitness of Tim Cahill. "I couldn’t walk properly Saturday, couldn’t walk properly Sunday and I have been having treatment on every day", said Cahill. He looks odds on to remain absent for what surely will be the most financially rewarding game in the Club's history should we emerge victorious. If Cahill fails to regain fitness in time expect to see David Moyes opt for the once familiar 4-5-1 with Marcus Bent yet again alone up front. The somewhat rejuvenated Duncan Ferguson remains the enigma for manager Moyes - to start or not to start? Ferguson, arguably, remains most effective when coming on as a substitute, if we need to change matters. There's absolutely no doubt that the entry of Duncan Ferguson at some stage of the second half against Newcastle would provide a lift for both team and fans alike.
James Beattie remains frozen before the headlights. His contribution last week at Fulham was minimal to say the least. It would be foolish to write him off completely for the remainder of this season as Evertonians, more than any other set of fans, should now anticipate that anything can happen, and often does, in this wonderful game of football! Beattie to look like the player once known for scoring vital goals? Yes, please. There would be no better day than Saturday for James Beattie to endear himself to the Goodison faithful. The script is there for you lad...
With the match already a sell-out, the stakes for Everton could not be any higher. Ending with a quote from Morrissey (no, not Johnny!), "please please please let me get what I want....this time!" Come on you Blues!
Colm Kavanagh
Matchday Stats
Textr.
Steve Flanagan
Irrepressible Blues earn decisive victory
Everton took a final and, thanks to Liverpool's defeat at Highbury, decisive step towards Champions League qualification with a solid victory over Newcastle United at a vibrant Goodison Park. David Moyes's side overcame an uncertain and untidy opening to eventually stamp their authority on the visitors who finished the match with 10 men after Shola Ameobi was dismissed for voilent conduct just before the hour mark.
The result meant that local rivals Liverpool had to win both their remaining fixtures, starting at Highbury this weekend, but they failed at the first hurdle going down 3-1 to Arsene Wenger's men in front of Sky's live cameras. With Uefa having ruled that 4th place in the Premiership will be guaranteed entry to the third and final qualifying round for the Champions League, the Blues' fairytale season is complete.
Tim Cahill was the biggest doubt for the visit of the Magpies but he raised Everton's prospects for victory by not only passing a late fitness test but also playing his usually important role in the Blues' victory. Despite looking as though his season was over just a few weeks ago, Alan Stubbs was also deemed fit enough to play but had to make do with a place on the bench behind Joseph Yobo and David Weir. Steve Watson continued at left back and Duncan Ferguson once again partnered Marcus Bent up front.
Probably due to nerves, Everton were, truth be told, fairly directionless and rough around the edges for much of the first half on an afternoon that seemed to go through all four seasons in just a few short hours. (A biting wind coming off the Mersey combined with cloud cover to create almost wintry conditions for the fans as they made their way to Goodison, by the midway point in the game it was raining, but at full time the wind had dropped and the old stadium was bathed in warm sunshine.) Watson and Weir both benefited from leniency on the part of referee Barry Knight who kept his notebook in his pocket despite some crunching and mis-timed challenges in the opening stages.
Newcastle could have scored from any one of a number of chances in the first 45 minutes. Darren Ambrose was put clean through but his first touch sent the ball bobbling into the arms of Nigel Martyn, James Milner forced a terrific parried save from Martyn, and Partrick Kuivert dragged a shot across goal with just the 'keeper to beat. Kluivert missed an even better chance soon afterwards, nodding a free kick wide of Martyn's post. The tigerish Watson was also, thankfully, on hand to make a couple of crucial interventions to deny his old club, not least a block at full stretch to keep out a fierce drive from the edge of the area.
Everton, for their part, came closest when Mikel Arteta forced a flying save from Shay Given from a direct free kick near the edge of the area.
But the home side did break the deadlock two minutes before the interval when Jean-Alain Boumsong was adjudged to have fouled Bent near the left touchline and Arteta delivered a perfect ball to the back post where a totally unmarked Weir stooped to power a header into the corner to make it 1-0. Goodison erupted in relief and delight and the Blues went into the hakf-time break a goal up.
With that cushion, Everton entered the second period with a bit more cohesion and swagger. Arteta began to find his inspirational feet in midfield and Lee Carsley also took a more commanding role but the first major incident of the half was Ameobi's red card. When Cahill tugged on the striker's shirt, Ameobi lashed out with a hand on the back of the Australian's head, prompting an instant red card from referee Knight.
Cahill was booked for his part in the incident but shrugged it off with the decisive goal a couple of minutes later. Good work by Bent saw his low cross cleared only as far as Carsley who fed Arteta and although he scuffed his effort, it fell straight to Cahill who was being played onside by Boumsong and the Aussie had all the time he needed to take a couple of touches before burying it high in the net and seal the game.
Moyes made changes by taking off Bent and Ferguson for McFadden and Beattie but while the Scot showed some flashes of invention and a few tasty balls into the box, there was little to get excited about apart from a late Beattie header that bounced just wide of the upright.
That was to be Beattie's only real contribution to the proceedings; he looked far short of sharpness and lacked either the desire or the ability to chase down defenders or make intelligent running up front, worrying traits that cast further shadows of doubt on the wisdom of splashing out so much money on him during the transfer window. Next season will, obviously, be the acid test for the club's record signing.
Overall, this was an oftentimes niggly and cagey display by Everton but they ended up winning at a canter despite some scares in the first half. Pre-match talk in the pubs centred around the enormity of the importance that the Blues win this one and not have to rely on picking up points at Highbury or The Reebok Stadium and the players duly obliged. They were rewarded during their lap of honour with a high-decible reception from the Goodison faithful who have supported their unlikely bid to join Europe's elite all season long. It is a staggering achievement that tears up the notion that you have to spend mountains of cash to unseat the so-called big four clubs, although, contrarily, no one is under any illusions about the size of investment that will be required this summer to allow Everton to compete in Europe next season while trying to emulate the achievements made in the Premiership this season.
Lyndon Lloyd
Life doesn’t get much better
The weekend has become everything I possibly wanted and more. I finished university for good on Friday which inevitably lead to a brilliant and boozy night out in the depths of Huddersfield. With Gaz’s car packed in yet again a train ride was necessary for this trip. Very late on Friday night we decided to meet at the train station at 10am with a view to getting the 10:27am to Lime Street. Another mate of mine, a Newcastle United fan, came along for the game as well. I rang Gaz to make sure he was up at 9am. Inevitably the phone rang off time and time again, meaning I was foaming at the mouth and stomping round the house like a loon. Finally at about 9:45am we got hold of his flatmate who got the soft bastard up. He said he’d follow us down to the train station.
Anticipating Gaz turning up at the station too late to purchase a ticket for himself, I gracefully got one for him. You can imagine my reaction at about 10:25am when the train was about to pull up, no sign of Gaz, and still not answering his phone. Enough was enough “sod it, lets get on the train” I declared manfully. Grrrrr.
So off we set I text Gaz this:
“What the fuck are you doing you useless twat? We’ve got on the train. Follow us to Liverpool. Give us a shout when you get there.”
To which he replied:
“Soz mate, left my phone downstairs – schoolboy.”
And then later:
“Can’t make it, just give the ticket to one of your mates. I’ve just been sick, going back to bed. Soz”
After all that!
Nobody else fancied the match or could make it so thought I’d try and flog it at the ground. The match was a sell out so I figured I wouldn’t have any problems getting rid of it, and sure enough, just by the megastore a shifty looking fella in a big coat was asking for tickets:
“How much do you want for it mate?”
“Oh, just face value mate?”
Much to Ste’s (who can’t stand seeing money going to waste) horror I even rounded it up to £25 when I’d actually paid £28 for the ticket. Anyways, with all that sorted it was on to The Spellow for a few jars.
It wasn’t long before we were in our pretty damn good seats in the Upper Gwladys. Noticeably, the fella sitting next to us wasn’t the shifty man I sold the ticket to, I couldn’t resist asking:
“How much did you pay for your ticket mate?” “fifty quid from some fella”.
Doh!
The team was practically the same one that went down at Fulham with Watson moving over to left back to accommodate Hibbert at right back. Pistone dropped. The biggest cheer at the start was for the news that Cahill had made it. I thought he might’ve and was well happy with that.
The first ten minutes were cagey to say the least with not a lot between the two teams. The closest anyone came to scoring was Arteta’s delightful free kick which was well palmed out by Given. After that Newcastle seized the initiative and got a foothold on the game. In all seriousness, we could have gone in 4-0 down at half time.
1, Ambrose got put through by an Arteta tackle but his touch was too heavy and Martyn fell on it. 2, Weir’s miss-kick let in Kluivert who drilled it wide with just Martyn to beat. 3, Kluivert closed his eyes with a free header from four yards and somehow headed it wide. 4, A beautiful one-two between Kluivert and Milner let the young lad in. At least he hit the target, but Martyn pulled off a brilliant save.
Souness surely has to take some responsibility for this after dropping Shearer. Granted he’s not scored for a while but there’s no way in the world he’d have missed that header. In between all this Everton had mustered two half chances, one which Bent hit across Given who saved quite comfortably after a great Ferguson ball had put him away, and the other a header from Cahill which was also quite comfortable for Given. “You’ve gotta take these chances away from home” I told my Geordie friend. I feared Watson’s Everton career had come to a premature end when he landed awkwardly on his shoulder “a la” Stubbs but he got up and got on with it and then made a terrific block from a long range drive. You’ve got to admire that. Everton couldn’t really get into the game at this stage. The ref was something approaching inadequate and it seemed that all you had to do was hit the deck and you’d get a free kick, but the linesman at the Park End side was genuinely hopeless and frustrated bent in particular with several strange decisions.
About five minutes from time after Ameobi had forced a corner from Hibbert, which came to nothing I declared:
“I’m quite confident nothing else will happen for the rest of this half. I’m going for a pint, you comin’?” “Nah mate, you never know.”
So I’m there queuing for my beer (which I very rarely bother with) and Goodison erupts. I twist my neck back to an almost impossible position to see Davey Weir wheeling away in delight, the replay shows him connect unmarked at the far post with a header from an Arteta delivery. Get in. Completely undeserved, but we’ll take it. I got the beers and handed the money over, hell seemed to break loose over the other side of the counter and after a few minutes the woman comes back and says:
“Some man just got off with five beers.” “Twats.”
So we had them and then went back up for the second half. Everton looked more reassured in the second without really creating much at the start, but you sensed they would be OK. The task was made a bit easier with something like half an hour to go when Ameobi got himself sent off for a schoolboy bully-esque smack on Cahill. From then it was easy, all we had to do was score another and that was that. That came when Arteta shot from about 25 yards wide. He miss-hit it and it was going well wide but rolled invitingly for Cahill. Everyone seemed to stop and expect an offside flag. It never came, and Cahill steadied himself and riffled into the top corner from about 10 yards. That was that. I hugged the lad next to me with all my strength and screamed “Were in the Champions League”. I don’t think a goal has bought me so much joy in a while. It was party time after that and the atmosphere was superb.
I did feel a bit sorry for my Geordie mate in the last 20 minutes as the Newcastle United players produced a lack of care and heart akin to how our new found heroes performed in the last five games of last season. Most of their shots went out for throw ins and most of their passes just didn’t find the players, but afterwards they would just shrug their shoulders and run back. The shake of my mates head was getting comical after the tenth time. “An absolute joke” was my mates assessment.
Boumsong and Ferguson both collided jumping for the ball. Both went down, Ferguson get straight back up, Boumsong stayed down. That was a good symbol of the match really. Everton were more committed.
Moyes rung the changes as he could now afford to do it. Ferguson made way for Beattie, McFadden replaced Carsley I think and nearer the end Stubbs came back and replaced Cahill. All the subs did quite well, but McFadden was brilliant. The players were clearly excelling and knocking it about well. Bent hit a shot over the bar from inside the box, but the last real chance came for Beattie who did well to get a header in at all from a Kilbane cross and was unlucky to see it go wide. I think he’ll come good. In comparison Souness left it until the 82nd minute to finally bring Shearer on. I just didn’t want it to end, but end it did. Just two minutes of stoppage time and that was that.
The players came back out with their kids for their lap of honour. There havn’t been too many of these in recent years which I’ve enjoyed, and none so as much as that. It’s a far cry from the last home game against Bolton last season when the only chants were “Rooney”, “”Sack the board” and “Moyes, Moyes, Davey, Davey Moyes”. Well the latter was the loudest one again this time and he was genuinely thrilled by it I think as he clapped and shaked his fists. Last season he looked very embarrassed and vowed not to put us supporters through that again and that it was “unacceptable”. He’s certainly done that.
Afterwards we went for a few jars at The Spellow and met Gary, before dropping my mate off back at Lime Street. I went out last night and just could not stop smiling.
Well done Everton. I think we’ve done enough now.
Player Ratings:
Paul Traill
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