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Match Review Everton won for the first time in 2004 but it took the introduction of Tomasz Radzinski midway through the second half to change the shape of the game and pave the way for a victory that was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests. The Canadian international popped up at the near post to nod home Wayne Rooney's pin-point cross and open the scoring with 12 minutes left after Nigel Martyn had made two crucial saves from point-blank range to keep the game goalless. Thomas Gravesen waltzed through five minutes later to bury the ball past Sorensen and seal the points, snapping Aston Villa's five-game winning streak. Alan Stubbs was declared fit and displaced David Unsworth to the bench, where he was joined by McFadden, Radzinski, and Campbell. Jeffers was presumably not being risked even though he was supposedly passed fit on Friday as Big Dunc wears the Captain's armband again. Noticeably and shamefully missing form the proceedings was a minute's silence to show respect for Tommy Egglington, who died during the week. For the Club to decide against this simple recognition of a valuable servant's lifelong contribution is unforgivable. It was a fairly quiet start to the game, but there were signs from Aston Villa that they were prepared to break with pace, while Rooney showed the same determination to run at the Villains. But Rooney wasted a distant free-kick, blasting it high, wide, and not too handsome. Ferguson and Rooney were generally combining well in attack but the final ball was simply not happening, while Villa were building their attacks once they got possession with an ominous degree of freedom until the would encounter the stern defence of Yobo and Hibbert. Wayne Rooney then had an opportunity to get in on goal when he appeared to control the ball with his hand but although he had his shooting foot taken from under him by a Villa defender the referee waved play on. Halfway through the first half, Alessandro Pistone was forced off with an injury to be replaced by David Unsworth. Half-time arrived with precious little in the way of further incident, although Nigel Martyn was forced into a crucial save just before the break, getting behind a close-range effort from Darius Vassell after another glaring error by Thomas Gravesen who was, by all accounts, having a nightmare game in the first 45 minutes. The second half started in exciting fashion, although it was the visitors who nearly broke the deadlock when Vassell popped up again in the six-yard box but he was denied brilliantly again by a point-blank save by Martyn. Everton also looked a little more enterprising, David Unsworth going close with a header five minutes after the break. J Lloyd Samuel was then booked for a two-footed challenge on Gravesen but the Dane's low free kick came to nothing. After a lengthy period of inactivity by both sides, Ferguson had a tame header saved while, at the other end, Hitzelsberger fired inches wide with Martyn beaten as Villa again threatened to score the first goal. After 68 minutes, Steve Watson was removed in favour of Tomasz Radzinski as Moyes clearly tried to inject more attacking threat to his line-up and the Canadian international had the ball in the net with 20 minutes left but it was chalked off for offside. As the game entered the last quarter of an hour, the Blues looked like they were beginning to turn the screw a little and although Unsworth smacked a header off the bar he was penalised for a foul on goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen. A few minutes later though, the deadlock was broken. Wayne Rooney made space on the right, teased Soresen off his line with a whipped ball into the area and Radzinski nipped in to head into the net to make it 1-0 with 12 minutes to go.
Villa responded with increased vigour, forcing a succession of corners that the Blues' defence couldn't get clear. Angel had a penalty claim turned down and Lee Hendrie was booked for protesting the decision before the home side managed to finally get the ball clear and relieve some of the inevitable pressure. Immediately, Gravesen ran with the ball from deep, exchanged passes with Radzinski, than kept going and lashed the ball emphatically past Sorensen to double Everton's lead and redeem himself for a poor all round performance. It was his first goal of the season. The mad Dane then produced another moment of magic, advancing into the area before delivering a teasing ball for Ferguson but the big Scot was just beaten by a Villa defender as, for once, Moyes's men used attack as the best form of defence. Kevin Campbell came on with a minute to go to replace Duncan Ferguson
but there was to be no defensive collapse this time and the final whistle
soon arrived to usher in three vital points. |
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| Match Facts | |||||
| Everton (4-4-2) Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks |
Aston
Villa (4-4-2) Claret & blue shirts, claret shorts & socks |
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Southampton (A)
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