Mini-Revival Continues With Unspectacular Win Over Burnley

In hindsight, a routine win that brings the Blues' points haul from the last 15 available to 13 and pulls them to within a couple of points of the top half of the table.

Everton 1 - 0 Burnley

In the wake of the infamous Kevin Mirallas penalty incident against West Bromwich Albion back in January, Roberto Martinez was emphatic in his declaration that such a situation would not be repeated. "Leighton Baines is on penalties," the manager insisted after the Belgian had elected to take a first-half spot kick and the missed, most likely costing the Blues victory in that game.

Mirallas scored at Goodison Park from open play this afternoon to secure a victory over relegation-threatened Burnley that was a good deal more comfortable than the narrow scoreline suggests but not before another penalty farce had raised more questions about the level of leadership in a team that has had its share of problems this season.

Aaron Lennon, the torch-bearer during Everton's early charge with a series of purposeful and pacey runs, had barrelled through the visitors' defence in the 10th minute and been chopped down by David Jones with a challenge that referee Mike Jones deemed to have continued into the box. With Romelu Lukaku on the substitutes' bench, all eyes turned to Baines to assume responsibilities for the penalty but it was Ross Barkley who took ownership of the ball and whose poor kick was foiled by Tom Heaton in the Clarets' goal.

The 21 year-old's failure from 12 yards proved academic in the end, both in terms of the result and Barkley's own performance which was, on the whole, much improved on the tenatative, unproductive displays that have characterised much of his season. It was his strong run and shot in only the second minute that signalled the home side's early intent, and while Everton's overall performance didn't deliver the kind of entertainment for which a sell-out crowd was no doubt pining, there were promising signs that the current unbeaten run is reviving some of the Blues' attacking belief.

They should have won by more, though, particularly after Ashley Barnes was sent off in first-half stoppage time for the second of two ill-advised late challenges which condemned Sean Dyche's side to playing the entire second period with only 10 men. Everton racked up 21 shots in all over the 90 minutes but carved out few clear-cut chances and provided no ammunition for Lukaku in his bid to reach 20 goals for the season after he was introduced for the last half an hour.

Continuing a theme established early on in the season, Martinez's men often let themselves down with the final ball or allowed promising counter-attack opportunities to fizzle out with poor decision-making at the crucial moment. Arouna Kone, starting his fifth League game in a row but again struggling to justify his inclusion, wasted one such chance by planting the ball into the goalkeeper's arms while Mirallas wrecked an even better situation with an over-elaborate heel flick when simply moving the ball on to his better-placed team-mate would have put him in on goal. Just two examples where smarter decisions could have yielded a better chances and, perhaps, the further goals that Everton's dominance merited.

Even so, Martinez's decision to finally field two wide players and allow Barkley to roam in his preferred role off the striker, coupled with his apparent directive to James McCarthy to get further forward, demonstrated some welcome flexibility from the manager, even if the ruthelessness and desire to really put consistently put teams to the sword still hasn't yet returned.

The better balance to the line-up didn't quite translate into a mirrored raids down the respective flanks by Baines and Seamus Coleman – the former appeared to be holding back, perhaps because of a shortage of cover from Mirallas while Lennon's ceaseless industry gave the Irishman greater license to bomb forward.

It was Coleman's cross that Heaton could only palm into the path of Baines with a quarter of an hour gone but the keeper recovered to parry the left back's powerful shot. Lennon, meanwhile, was finding joy drifting off the wing into a central position and when Barkley picked him out with a smart pass, he stepped inside his marker and drove a shot just wide from 20 yards.

The Toffees were exhibiting a pleasing quickness and determination in their play and it was rewarded just before the half-hour mark with a fine move that ended with Mirallas rifling home at the second attempt. Lennon cut inside once more and found Kone who in turn laid it off to James McCarthy and it was his centre that Mirallas initially mis-kicked before he buried it past Heaton to make it 1-0.

Everton's propensity to throw away a lead almost reared its head a minute later as Danny Ings' clipped ball carved the home defence open but David Jones lashed his shot from the angle an inch over the crossbar. It was something of a let-off but it would be as close as Burnley would come to scoring. Gareth Barry, who had a decent game apart from a few poor passes in his own half that went unpunished, snuffed out a chance for Barnes with a last-ditch tackle and the referee waved away penalty claims for a handball by John Stones but the Clarets were surprisingly meek for a team fighting for their Premier League lives.

Their prospects of getting anything of the game looked to have evaporated when Barnes received his marching orders for catching Coleman with a late tackle; as it turned out, they would remain in with a shout to the final whistle because Everton weren't able to kill the game off in the second half.

It wasn't for want of trying, at least in the early stages after half time. Capitalising on the extra man, Baines popped up on the overlap in the 48th minute and centred for Kone who prodded goalwards and forced a good save from Heaton at his near post. The England international then showed terrific awareness six minutes later when he intercepted George Boyd's pass and picked out Kone but the Ivorian went for glory despite McCarthy being better placed and he skied his shot into the stands.

After Mirallas had somewhat fortunately escaped a red card of his own for an ugly high tackle on Boyd, it was Baines again in the 56th minute with a lovely pass inside to Lennon to move it on to McCarthy who tried to pick his spot with a side-foot shot but he put it the wrong side of the post. And Baines forced another save from the 'keeper with a stinging shot 25 yards out, Heaton pushing it away to safety with both hands before Coleman hammered an effort just wide from a similar distance.

Lukaku's arrival offered the potential for greater firepower up front but he would get just one sniff at adding to his tally for the season off Phil Jagielka's long ball forward, a chance that disappeared when he slipped slightly as he tried to bring the ball down and Heaton was able to steal it off him. Instead, it was Barry and McCarthy who almost doubled the lead in the closing stages, the former popping up unmarked at the back post to meet a Baines free kick but his somewhat rushed shot was saved while the latter fizzed an effort of his own half a wide from Barkley's lay-off.

Burnley's late rally was short lived but Ings was left kicking himself for despatching a free header high over Howard's bar and Everton safely saw out stoppage time with Barkley's final effort, a selfish shot that prompted one last save from Heaton with Lukaku unmarked and calling to be played in to his right.

A goal for the Belgian striker would have provided a little more value for money but it proved to be a routine win that brings the Blues' points haul from the last 15 available to 13. It drags Martinez's side to within a couple of points of the top half and keeps alive the more remote hope they could sneak into eighth if they can keep this winning run going.

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