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Stalemate at Goodison as defences win out

Everton 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park, Everton with a chance to go 2nd in the Premier League as they pass the quarter season point under Roberto Martinez. In the only change to Everton's starting XI, Ross Barkley was dropped to the bench with Leon Osman preferred in midfield after scoring as a substitute in the win over Aston Villa. Tottenham named the same team that beat Hull in their last league game, with Everton fan Lewis Holtby in the playmaker role.

Everton began playing good possession football until Osman's first contribution, a pass into touch. It was Tottenham who had the first shot on goal, forcing Howard across to paw it around the post, Lukaku heading the corner out but not relieving the Spurs pressure. Howard went in the ref's book early on for daring to demand a fre-kick instead of a throw-in. Poor passing from the back again gave the ball away needlessly as Spurs pressed the Blues back and went all out for the first goal, Vertongen feeding Lennon and Soldado failing to get his header on target.

The first decent move out of the back by Everton collapsed with Mirallas called for offside. Baines fouled Townsend, to give Spurs a chance wide right that Lukakau again headed away. But Everton were totally pinned back, and giving crucial balls away shockingly at times, Osman, Mirallas, Pienaar,.. two defenders going for the same air ball, a deflected shot from Holtby could have gone anywhere, another Spurs corner, Dawson fouling.

Everton got forward but Mirallas's cross was intercepted and some ferocious tackling in the middle and McCarthy then got the second yellow card of the game for a pathetic grab to give away a very dangerous free-kick that Walker smacked straight at Howard. Holtby's corner was again blocked by Lukaku as Everton were being overwhelmed, with the assistance of numerous unfavourable calls by referee Kevin Friend.

Typifying Everton's lack of control, they resorted to hoffing the ball forward, Howard's goal kick bouncing over two players and into touch. Friend waved away a penalty call on Coleman, which looked a little dubious. Spurs attacked again and won yet another corner that Howard punched off an attacker's head, then had to save Holtby's low shot.

The ball simply was not running for the Blues at all, while almost everything was falling nicely for a rampant Spurs until Osman found some space off a Barry pass but his long-distance shot was always going over, but at least Everton were playing in the Spurs half. Everton appeared to have weathered a tremendous half-hour of continuous pressure, compounded by some shockingly bad passing and equally pathetic ball control.

The first Everton corner came on 32 mins, Baines floating it dreadfully to Lloris at the far post, after it had curled out of play. Hopelessly poor quality from the home side. When the Blues did get a little bit of possession in midfield, it would end with a poor give away far too often. Baines and Pienaar finally combined but Pienaar's curled ball in was too soft, a gift for Lloris. Osman won a free kick that should have been dangerous but came to nothing.

A Sandro handball gave Mirallas a set-piece chance that he screwed off the wall for a corner. Baines this time delivered it a little deeper with no end result. The game was summed up by a horrible Howard miskick as Everton's play across the back looked so frighteningly awful. Solado lashed a shot over from the fracas and incredibly Everton went in at the break with a clean sheet that must somehow say something about the effectiveness of their defensive structure.

Would Martinez make a statement with changes at the break? No.

The second half started with a slew of torrid giveaways as the theme of the first-half continued until the ball broke to Lukaku who fed Mirallas but he was tackled superbly before he could shoot, and got booked for demanding a corner.

Everton continued to resist the onslaught until they finally got forward with more promise on around 55 minutes. Distin did very well to halt Paulinho as he pulled the trigger, but recovered from the knock on his knee.

Another absolutely shocking Howard kick was very lucky to go through Holtby as Everton continued to live dangerously. When they did get forward, Coleman's cross went over a lonely Lukaku. McCarthy looked to make amends for his poor first-half showing.

Martinez finally acted, Deulofeu replacing Mirallas and Barkley replacing Osman after the hour mark. And immediately Everton looked brighter, held the ball better, Barkley taking a shot at goal that was a foot or so over the angle. Coleman stumbled under pressure from Vertongen behind him but them recovered to get off a lame shot, with Goodison baying for a penalty Friend was never going to give. He finally booked a Spurs player, Paulinho, as Lennon was replaced by Sigurdson.

Deulofeu's first corner was very poor, straight at a defender who played his second short and a little too casually but did eventually get in a good cross. Everton were finally pressing, McCarthy playing in a brilliant low cross that Lukaku didn't put enough of a glance onto as it flew across Lloris's goal. Much much better intent from the Blues.

More good pressure broke down when Pienaar was hounded by three players and Spurs surged forward but could not penetrate Everton's defence, Howard saving well from a Sigurdosn drive. Lukaku should have set Everton away but his pass was very poor. But some great play by Coleman in the middle to keep the ball and then McCarthy played a good ball for Lukaku to chase but Lloris slid out well to save the ball and caught his head horribly on Lukaku's knee — the stretcher was called, no doubt for concussion, Freidel ready to replace him.... but Lloris insistent after many minutes of treatment and contrary demands from Spurs medical staff that he could, should and indeed would stay on! Bizzare. Lukaka given the yellow card for a total accident.

Everton tried to take advantage but Lukaku hobbled off, his knee suffering from that clash with Lloris's head. On came Jelavic, and played a part in the move that won a corner from the left that was designed to test Lloris. Deulofeu made a fantastic run through 5 defenders but could not lift his shot over the advancing Lloris, who was now finally coming under some tremendous EVERTON pressure.

Everton went ahead on the corner count, but still could not chisel out a clear-cut opportunity as it was time for the Spurs defence to rock back on its heels, Barkley going on a brilliant run to the byeline but his cutback was intercepted as NINE minutes of added time came up on the board.

Distin went in kicking like crazy on Soldado, very unusual, but only a talking to from Friend; Sigurdson swinging in a superb ball that somehow evaded everyone. Everton looked to break but chances for Deulofeu and Pienaar to advance were thwarted as a frenetic period of added time unfolded, Spurs pressing back, Townsend firing in for Howard to save well.

Barkley was putting in a huge contribution, trying at every opportunity to drive the Blues forward. Deulofeu showed some brilliance in defence, intercepting superbly. But his teammates continued to let the side down with poor ball control, and the game finally ended surprisingly goalless, Everton probably the luckier side not to have gone behind in that embarrassingly woeful first half.

Scorers: None.

Everton: Howard Y:10', Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, McCarthy Y:17', Barry, Osman (63' Barkley), Pienaar, Mirallas Y:48' (63' Deulofeu), Lukaku Y:78' (86' Jelavic).
Subs not Used: Robles, Stones, Oviedo, Naismith.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris ; Walker, Chiriches, Dawson, Vertonghen; Paulinho Y:68', Sandro (61' Dembélé); Lennon (69' Sigurdsson), Holtby (86' Eriksen), Townsend; Soldado.
Subs not Used: Friedel, Kaboul, Lamela, Defoe, .

Referee: Kevin Friend

Attendance: 38,378

Quotes or other material sourced from ToffeeWeb Match Reports

• Ken Buckley: From My Seat

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