Set-piece frailties rob Blues of derby glory

, 23 November, 0comments  |  Jump to most recent
Everton 3 - 3 Liverpool
The concession of a third set-piece goal less than two minutes from the end of the 90 minutes pegged Everton back to 3-3 after Romelu Lukaku's second goal looked to have won a thrilling Merseyside derby.

The Blues had fought their way back from 2-1 down to lead 3-2 after 82 minutes but a sloppy foul by Sylvain Distin outside the penalty area gave Steven Gerrard the chance to find substitute Daniel Sturridge and he glanced past Tim Howard to break Everton hearts at the death.

Liverpool had drawn first blood early when Coutinho was allowed to ghost in at the back post and prod home after just three minutes.

But Everton responded swiftly and impressively, Seamus Coleman flighting in a free kick from midfield which Ross Barkley knocked down and Kevin Mirallas converted at the back post.

That work to regain parity was wasted after 18 minutes, though, when Tim Howard allowed Luis Suarez to exploit a gap in his defensive wall and bend a direct free kick inside the post to make it 2-1.

What had been a frantic but relatively clean all-Merseyside clash turned ugly in the 34th minute, though, when Mirallas, no doubt exacting revenge on Suarez for an unpunished stamp in this game last season, clattered through the Uruguayan's knee with a high boot. Had he seen red he couldn't have complained but referee Phil Dowd opted for restraint and only flashed a yellow card.

After a disappointing remainder of the first half from Everton's perspective, it took the introduction of the mercurial Gerard Deulofeu for the injured Baines five minutes into the second for the game to open up for the Blues in Liverpool's half.

The teenager found Simon Mignolet in inspired form in the Liverpool goal, though, and he was foiled in a one-on-one showdown within five minutes of coming on. Lukaku was also denied by his Belgian teammate on a couple of occasions before he seized on Mirallas' cut-back in the 71st minute and side-footed into the net off the goalkeeper's hand to level things up at 2-2.

11 minutes later, after more quick feet by Deulofeu had won a corner on the Everton left, Lukaku stole in front of Glenn Johnson and buried a powerful header into net to provide the platform for victory but it was not to be.

Quotes or other material sourced from ToffeeWeb Match Reports





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