Season › 2013-14 › News Second-half lapse costs Everton Lyndon Lloyd , 9 February, 0comments | Jump to most recent Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Everton Gerard Deulofeu made his return as a substitute but couldn't help turn the game Everton suffered their fourth defeat of the season with a narrow defeat at Tottenham in a match that ultimately hinged on the Blues' lack of cutting edge up front and a moment's lack of concentration midway through the second half. Like the return fixture at Goodison Park earlier in the season, these two evenly-matched teams looked destined to cancel each other out in an open game that yielded few clear-cut chances. It took something clever to break the deadlock and Kyle Walker provided it — albeit aided by referee Mark Clattenburg's decision to let him take it many yards away from the location of the alleged infringement — with a quickly-take free kick that caught the Everton defence napping and Emmanuel Adebayor rapped a left-footed shot inside the near post as Blue jerseys scrambled to get back. Spurs had proved difficult to break down for most of the afternoon and the cushion afforded them by the goal allowed them to close ranks and stifle Roberto Martinez's side, who found it increasingly difficult to create chances as the game progressed. The Spaniard's plan appeared to be working after a first half that the Blues had edged in terms of chances and the lack of time and space afforded the home team had led to escalating frustration in the White Hart Lane crowd. The first 10 minutes were all Everton and they fashioned four chances in that time, all of which fell to Leon Osman, the best of them a sliced half volley that Hugo Lloris had to palm aside at full stretch with just 5 minutes on the clock. The midfielder also powered a header just wide from a corner and saw a left-footed attempt drift a yard wide. Chances would be at a premium, though, and though Kevin Mirallas showed his talent in creating them all on his own with a scintillating run 10 minutes before half time, he was perhaps guilty of going for glory and smashing the ball over with Steven Naismith well-placed in front of him. Tottenham had been kept at arm's length impressively by Martinez's combination of a well-marshalled defence and the holding pair of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy and their first real sniff of goal was an Adebayor header that flew wide from a corner in the 54th minutes. The Togolese forward was on hand to capitalise on Walker's quick-thinking, though, after Barry had fouled Moussa Dembele and he latched onto the fullback's floated free kick before firing home the winner with what would prove to be the home side's only shot on target. Martinez had played his first card off the substitute's bench in Ross Barkley a couple of minutes earlier and he would quickly add Gerard Deulofeu and Aiden McGeady to the mix but none of the second-half introductions were able to carve a way through the Spurs defence. Seamus Coleman had a late penalty claim as he tried to cut inside from the left but Clattenburg waved away his appeals. So, a desperately disappointing defeat in what was a crucial game in the context of the chase for the top four that sees Everton slip to sixth and fall five points off fourth place. Full Coverage: ToffeeWeb Match Reports Match summary and discussion Full match report About these ads © ToffeeWeb