Ipswich Town 0 – 2 Everton
Everton put in an excellent performance at Portman Road to secure heir first away win of the season with a fine win over Ipswich Town.
Sean Dyche has had to revert to his old guard favourites for this one as the relentless injury problems limit his selection options with Chermiti, Broja, Iroegbunam, Garner, and Branthwaite either injured or not sufficiently recovered from long-term injury.
There’s two places on the bench for goalkeepers but none for Jesper Lindstrom, with Everton playing in Spurs colours. The home side kicked off but Davis fell heavily inside 10 seconds and the age was halted.
Everton got possession but Mykolenko’s punt up the wing was poor. Still Everton worked it forward and Gana won an early corner. McNeil’s delivery was good but Doucure needlessly pushed Muric. Ipswich made a quick break, Jack Clarke on the penalty spot, shafted his shot high and wide.
Calvert-Lewin did brilliantly to rob a defender but was of course hopeless in the one-on-one with Muric. Nevertheless, Everton continued to push forward but Mykolenko overhit his cross. Harrison rescued it and Ndiaye put it on a plate for McNeil but he wanted an extra touch rather than hitting it first time and a defender took it off his toe.
Tarkowski slid in very strongly on Hutchinson but got the ball and was not punished. Tarkowski then complained about Delap pushing him off the pitch. Everton were gifted another corner which flew over Keane and Tarkowski.
After good work by McNeil and Harrison, Iliman Ndiaye pounced on a ball that Ipswich were struggling to clear and he fairly belted it into the Ipswich net, with the benefit of a slight deflection, to give Everton the lead.
Everton kept possession well to keep the home side under the cosh. McNeil fed a lovely ball to Calvert-Lewin who got a poorly directed shot off that was never going to beat Muric. Young delivered a brilliant ball straight up to Calvert-Lewin but it was put out for a corner that almost beat Muric.
Keane blundered into Hutchinson and gave away a dangerous free-kick that was blocked before going out for a corner to Ipswich, the first pressure Everton had to withstand. Clarke dribbled in and went to shoot but kicked McNeil’s leg… penalty? Hmmm. Ref says Yes — but wasn’t this identical to Calvert-Lewin against Newcastle???
VAR Graham Scott invited Micheal Oliver to review it on the monitor … and amazingly they were consistent!! It was ruled out!!!
Calvert-Lewin ran out of space wide left. But Everton had surely had the better of the game so far. However, they seemed to be allowing Ipswich to have more of the ball, Keane giving them a corner, intercepted at the near post.
A breakout was the result, with Calvert-Lewin winning a corner at the other end. But nothing came from it and NcNeil’s shot hit Calvert-Lewin for a goal kick.
A speculative cross from Harrison saw Burgess head it behind for another Everton corner. It seemed to be cleared but came through from McNeil to Michael Keane, who, from an impossible angle, smashed it into the roof of the net! Unbelievable strike by the big galloot!!!
Everton managed the last few minutes well enough until a mistake by Doucoure led to Gueye fouling Delap just outside the dee, Phillips spooning it over the bar as 6 minutes were added on.
As Everton worked the ball upfield, Phillips fouled Harrison for a decent free-kick that Young shot goalward — perhaps he should have gone for the near post? Everton saw out the added time to go off at he break with a very nice two-goal lead.
Everton looked to take a degree of control through some unaccustomed high possession numbers as the home side struggled to see much of the ball. Calvert-Lewin tried to counter but his cross to Ducoure was cut out. But Town’s passing was poor, giving Everton the ball repeatedly.
Doucoure gifted the ball in to Calvert-Lewin’s feet and he turned well enough but shot feebly well wide of the near post. Great supply, shockingly poor finishing from the Everton No 9.
Ndiaye picked up a loose ball and ran at goal but his shot was saved low down by Muric. Ipswich were almost invited to have a go a couple of times as Everton eschewed the press in favour of waiting for a mistake.
It was nearly an hour gone before Ipswich got their first corner of the second half, but Everton broke and Ndiaye fed a lovely ball to the feet of Calvert-Lewin but what exactly he was trying to do with the ball wasn’t clear. He wasn’t trying to shoot despite the keeper being flat on his face.
Some changes by McKenna seemed to embolden the home side as Everton looked to lock in 3 points, but it led to more nervy moments. Mykolenko did well to win the ball but Everton failed to keep the ball on the counter as Ipswich were given more and more of it and almost invited to attack.
Ndiaye was lively and his trickery won Everon another free-kick left of the area, swung in by McNeil and it fell to Dcucoure but he could not fashion a shot. Ipswich countered at speed and Delap fired just inches over Pickford’s bar.
Stupid play by Everton out from the back saw the easy turnover and Hutchinson fizzed a shot just past the far post. From the corner, Burgess headed into the roof of Pickford’s net as Ipswich came closer and closer to scoring.
Another Ipswich corner and Chaplin fired it straight at Pickford – their first attempt on target as Everton defended deeper and deeper, with Mangala on for Ndiaye. A dangerous free-kick was headed clear, the last stages of the game played almost completely in Everton’s half.
Calvert-Lewin drew a foul on half-way to relieve the pressure. Young then delivered a brilliant ball right onto Calvert-Lewin’s head and it bounced off toward the corner flag!
Everton got forward but Calvert-Lewin then stood on the ball and lost it, giving Ipswich possession again as the clock ticked toward 90 minutes. Taylor was allowed to advance and test Pickford at the near post with 4 minutes added and Evertin holding on to their 2-goal lead.
Hutchinson’s cross was headed well over by Taylor, who was then booked for an overly aggressive challenge on Young.
Perhaps fittingly, another beautiful ball was played through directly to Calvert-Lewin’s feet with only goalkeeper Muric to beat… but there is no need to describe what happened to the last kick of the game!
Ipswich Town: Muric, O’Shea (63′ H Clarke), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Phillips (71′ Taylor [Y:90′]), Burns (63′ Chaplin), Hutchinson, J Clarke (71′ Szmodics), Delap (79′ Hirst).
Subs not Used: Walton, Townsend, Ogbene, Broadhead.
Everton: Pickford, Young, Keane [Y:24′], Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gana, Doucoure, Harrison, Ndiaye (81′ Mangala), McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs not Used: Virginia, Begovic, Patterson, Beto, O’Brien, Coleman, Armstrong, Dixon.
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Graham Scott
Attendance: 29,862