Column

Another Dramatic Finish Saves Everton

Credit must go to David Moyes's players who picked themselves up from three self-inflicted wounds to fight back from two goals down and earn a point and protect their unbeaten start to 2013.

Everton 3 - 3 Aston Villa

Goodison Park has witnessed some incredible late drama at times this season and another healthy dose was served up today as Marouane Fellaini headed home his second goal in the space of 25 minutes to cap a pulsating encounter and an impressive recovery by Everton.

Though the jubilation at that dramatic finale masked yet more frustration at two home points dropped, credit must go to David Moyes's players who picked themselves up from three self-inflicted wounds to fight back from two goals down and earn a point and protect their unbeaten start to 2013.

The Blues have drawn too many games this season, of that there is no question, and that has been down to lapses in concentration at the back as well as a failure to make their superiority tell at the other end with enough goals. Today, their attempts to record three successive wins in seven days were critically undermined by an awful individual performance by John Heitinga, easily the worst by an Everton player so far this season.

Deployed in central defence for the second game running, despite another highly suspect display in midweek, because of a lack of cover at right back (where Phil Jagielka deputised again), the Dutchman endured a torrid afternoon against Christian Benteke who bullied, out-muscled and out-paced him until Moyes belatedly withdrew him following one mistake too many after 63 minutes.

He had been let off the hook for his moment of madness against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday by Everton seeing out that game to secure three points. However, the manner in which Romelu Lukaku had been able to roll past him at almost every opportunity — in much the same way he allowed Aruna Kone to at Wigan earlier in the season — foreshadowed the nightmare Heitinga would have against Benteke, one which began as early as the second minute.

The burly Belgian breezed past him with shocking ease to drive onto Charles N'Zogbia's pass into the penalty area and he rolled the ball past Tim Howard's out-stretched leg and into the far corner.

Set back but unphased, Everton responded by going on the offensive and Fellaini flashed a left-foot shot inches wide after Kevin Mirallas' purposeful run before Baines smashed a rising 35-yard free-kick attempt over the bar and Steven Pienaar failed to really test Brad Guzman in the Villa goal with a weak shot from 20 yards.

The equaliser arrived after 20 minutes, though, after sterling attacking play by Victor Anichebe who repaid Moyes's continuing faith in him but bustling past the close attentions of Kieran Clark and firing left-footed and low past the goalkeeper.

Parity restored, that should have represented a reset button for the Blues but the visitors were back in front within three minutes. Benteke was released into space behind the defence in almost the same position as for the opening goal but Heitinga atoned somewhat for his earlier error by getting enough on the striker's shot to see it behind for a corner.

The Dutch defender shot himself in the foot, though, when the resulting corner was cleared but then worked back out to the right by Villa and Gabriel Agbonlahor was allowed to rise completely unchallenged and head the ball past Howard's despairng dive to make it 2-1.

Again, with plenty of time to go, there was no reason for and no panic shown by Everton as they continued to drive forward and escalate the pressure on the opposition goal for the remainder of the half. The goal that would have sent them into half time on level terms and changed the character of the mission in second half significantly, didn't arrive. That was partly due to Baines being uncharacteristically ineffective from dead-ball situations and partly because the Villa defence was defending as if their lives depended on it for much of the game.

A one-two exchange between Mirallas and Jagielka created a chance for Osman but his shot was deflected behind, Mirallas himself fired over from 18 yards and Pienaar blazed a decent opportunity over from a similar distance just before the interval.

If anyone present had feared Paul Lambert's struggling side would buckle in the second half, the first clue to the contrary would have been the 52nd-minute chance that probably should have seen them double their advantage. Agbonlahor drove through the centre of Everton's midfield and timed his through-ball perfectly to release Weimann into the clear as Baines inadvisedly tried to step up and set the offside trap. Thankfully, Weimann opted for power over precision when faced with just Howard to beat and he skied his effort over the crossbar.

The warning was not heeded, though, and after Fellaini and Anichebe had both seen fairly tame efforts safely gathered by Guzan, Benteke struck again to put the Blues in serious danger of only their fourth League defeat of the season. Weimann played a one-two with Matthew Lowton that gave the fullback plenty of space to swing in a deep cross and, brushing past Heitinga with ease once more, the Belgian got goal-side of the last-man and steered a header in off the far post. There was more than a suspicion of offside when the ball was played in but Heitinga's slow reactions and failure to match Benteke's desire to win the ball were crucial.

With a mountain now to climb, Moyes responded by hooking the beleaguered Heitinga in favour of Bryan Oviedo, a move that saw Jagielka move back inside the centre half, and introducing Nikica Jelavic for Mirallas, which prompted a chorus of boos from some of the faithful. As against West Brom on Wednesday, Mirallas had looked understandably rusty and there may have been an element of risk aversion in the decision given his lack of fitness after so long out with hamstring problems, but as the most creative player on the field many no doubt felt he could have provided the ammunition for Jelavic in the final 25 minutes.

As it was, it was the two players who started the game up front who combined to halve the deficite with 20 minutes left of the regulation 90. Fellaini collected a throw-in on the left before driving inside and squaring it to Anichebe. He held off his marker superbly to lay it back into the Belgian's path and Fellaini swept home from 12 yards to mark phase one of the rescue operation.

With Goodison Park now heaving in anticipation, a period of one-way traffic ensued as the Blues searched for the equaliser. Oviedo dragged a left-footer just wide from the edge of the box and Guzan had to paw a deflected Jelavic shot behind but time after time, Everton's corners were finding an Aston Villa head or being driven too deep to have any effect.

That changed crucially, however, in the third of six minutes of stoppage time when Bennett headed a cross behind and Baines whipped the resulting corner onto the head of Fellaini in the six-yard box and he out-jumped Vlaar to power home.

The Blues' top scorer almost grabbed a sensational winner two minutes later but though he connected with Steven Naismith's flick-on, he struck his half-volley into the ground and it skipped up to a nice height for the 'keeper to catch comfortably.

It was a stirring fightback by Everton, one that keeps them unbeaten this year so far and also extends Darron Gibson's remarkable unbeaten sequence in a blue jersey when he has played more than an hour in a game. The point earned keeps the Blues in the hunt with Arsenal, who won narrowly at home to Stoke, and brings them level with Tottenham until they play at The Hawthorns tomorrow.

Two more important points were dropped, though, in the push for Champions League qualification with a performance that lacked quality and cohesion at times. There was a shortage of effective passing and link play through midfield at times and too often all three of Pienaar, Baines and Mirallas were crowded over on the left touchline, leaving few opportunities to switch the play and ask questions of Villa down the right.

In defence, though no one covered themselves in glory by any means, Heitinga's alarming loss of form is a real cause for concern in a side that is battling to cover a shortage of options at right back. After being skinned for pace by Kone in that rare starting role against Wigan earlier in the campaign, his failure to deal with Lukaku in midweek, and now arguably being at fault for all three of Villa's goals today, serious questions should be asked as to whether he should be selected at centre half again this season.

Certainly, the player who was rightfully named player of the year last season is nowhere to be seen right now. In his place is a supposed world-class international defender whose lack of speed and concentration and worrying body language makes him a serious liability to a team who can't afford any passengers, least of all in defence. How Moyes responds with limited resources will be interesting.

On the plus side, Anichebe put in an other great shift leading the line and was rewarded with his sixth goal of the season; though playing on his weaker side, the team visibly settled with Oviedo at right fullback where Jagielka has struggled to impress; and Fellaini dispelled recent doubts over his stomach for the fight with two vital goals and an adrenaline-fuelled celebration for his equaliser.

And so to Old Trafford where a towering display and three unexpected points would immediately banish the memory of today's disappointment. You get the feeling that it's going to take a monumental result or two on the turf of the other clubs vying for the Champions League if the Blues are going to finish in the top four come May.

Reader Comments (29)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads

---

, placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' });