COLUMNIST PAUL TRAILL

Match Report - Saha's lightening strikes twice

By Paul Traill : 18/05/2009 :

Comments (8) :

I was up and about doing odds and sods from quite early on so made the most of my early start and got myself to the pub in time for the Manchester United vs Arsenal game. The Spellow, unlike usual, was all decked out in blue and white with old Everton songs booming out over the speaker system in a generous homage to this year's FA Cup Final. It was a nice touch though a tedious one after a while as the old songs began to get far too repetitive.

I was grateful when Gary and then Ste turned up as Manchester United won the league on the TV. The goalless draw with Arsenal was no surprise really though I was surprised to hear so many people cheer in the pub when they did win the league. Yes, I know nobody really wants Liverpool to win the league but I don?t see Manchester United?s dominance as anything to cheer otherwise. Regardless, this got people into the mood for the match with a few chants going off in the pub.

Otherwise Ste confirmed we had our Wembley tickets which is a huge relief and the check on the team news confirmed Moyes had made a few changes from last weekend's stalemate with Spurs. Neville moved back into midfield in place of Rodwell thus giving Lars Jacobsen his first (and maybe only) start at Goodison Park. Gosling dropped out to be replaced by Osman, and Saha, making only his eighth league start of the season, was preferred to Jo in attack. All changes made sense to me, particularly the latter one as Jo of course can?t play at Wembley and Saha needs goals.

We made our way into the Lower Gwladys where everyone entering received a car sticker reading ?Tell me ma? which was a fantastic little touch by Everton. We got to our seats just after Z-Cars. West Ham?s team included Robert Green in goal, Lucas Neill, ex-hate figure Luis Boa Morte, Radoslav Kovac, Mathew Upson and Diego Tristan, as well as a good blend of youth with James Tomkins, Jack Collison and David Di Michele all featuring. The referee was one of my favourite ones, Phil Dowd and, low and behold, we attacked the Lower Gwladys in the second half. GET IN!

Everton certainly started the better side and took the game to West Ham early on with Pienaar very instrumental throughout. He came close to scoring a spectacular goal when he cut inside from the left-hand side and unleashed a powerful strike which curled and dipped just over the corner of Robert Green?s goal. Louis Saha also had a reasonable shooting opportunity from the edge of the box but drilled well wide.

We seemed quite comfortable really but then, out of nowhere, Radoslav Kovac looked up from about 25-yards out and had a dip which curled away from Howard and into the net for his first West Ham goal. I thought Howard seemed to react quite late and perhaps should have done better. The goal was also definitely against the run of play but nevertheless we were behind.

Everton didn?t really look like they were going to get going again in the rest of the half and it took a game changing moment for the tide to turn in this one. Just as I was enquiring if Phil Jagielka had been awarded the Player of the Season award, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. From the other end of the field it was hard to tell what had happened.

Just after he gave a penalty the young girl next to me confirmed that Jags had indeed won the Player of the Season award. As she told me this another cheer rang out around the ground which could only mean a red card to someone. I watched to see who was walking for West Ham and at first I thought it was Luis Boa-Morte but he was just going to get some instructions from Zola. It in fact turned out to be the young lad James Tomkins for what I could only assume was a last-man professional foul.

Louis Saha stepped up for the penalty. I was convinced he?d miss but prayed he didn?t as a dent in his confidence is just not what we need now. Robert Green played mind games by standing well over to the right hand side of his goal, leaving a big gap on the other side. I think his idea was to kid Saha that he was going to be diving into the space so he?d go the other way, and then dive that way and save it. Saha wasn?t fooled thankfully and slotted it calmly and accurately into Green?s bottom-left corner. Everton then had their tails up for the rest of the half though failed to make the breakthrough before the half-time whistle.

At half-time I saw a disappointed Stu who seemingly hasn?t gotten a ticket for Wembley. I then saw Ste who didn?t have a clue what had happened for the penalty and red card either.

West Ham made a couple of changes at the start of the second half, withdrawing both strikers for Jonathon Spector and Carlton Cole ? who?s presumably more accustomed to playing up front on his own.

It didn?t take Everton long in the second half to get themselves ahead when a corner floated above Lescott and his marker and fell to Yobo. He showed good composure, taking the ball down and smashing it past a few players and Robert Green to make it 2-1. The replays on the screen suggested the ball was actually going wide before deflecting on target via Matthew Upson so it remains to be seen if that turns out to be his goal or not. He always seems to bang a goal in at the end of the season, does Yobo.

With us ahead and the onus now on 10-man West Ham to attack, it was then party time at Goodison. The crowd were in good form and the team responded, passing the ball around well. They actually got a bit too carried away at one point though when Cahill, and then Fellaini both gave the ball away on separate occasions both of which would have resulted in West Ham goals if not for good goalkeeping by Howard. Clearly we needed a two-goal cushion and it came when Pienaar created space for himself with an excellent turn, got himself into the box and squared the ball to Saha who finished easily from close range.

Whilst the result wasn?t in doubt, Everton weren?t quite finished and really should have added more goals before the end. Saha really should have grabbed a hat-trick when presented with a good opportunity by Cahill, though he shot straight at Robert Green. From the rebound, substitute Rodwell put the ball back into the box where Cahill headed down and goalwards, forcing Green to tip the ball onto the crossbar. On another occasion Jo, off the bench, also seemed to have a good opportunity though was denied by a fantastically-timed challenge by Lucas Neill. It was nice to see Neill and Cahill share a laugh and joke after that as they ran back to position.

The game ticked out and Everton recorded a good victory in the end by exactly the same score as the reverse fixture at Upton Park, with Louis Saha again scoring two of the goals. We?ve now leapfrogged Villa into fifth with just one game to go as they could only draw at doomed Middlesbrough. So a win at Fulham next week and we?ll definitely finish fifth. The players did their customary lap of honour at the end of the game and that?s it for Goodison ?til next season. Just two trips to London left, one a jolly-up, one a Cup Final. If we had to win just one, I know what I?d choose.

Good luck Everton. Let?s come back with the Cup!

Player Ratings:

Howard: I thought he could have done better with the goal but made a couple of decent stops in the second half to make up for it. 6

Baines: Fine. 6

Yobo: One reckless pass in the first half aside, he did pretty well and hopefully got on the scoresheet. 6

Lescott: Fine. 7

Jacobsen: I thought he did well. We don?t know if he?s staying on for next year but if not it?ll be a shame we haven?t seen a bit more of him. 7

Neville: Did well with his tackling and passing though the less said about his shooting the better. 7 Pienaar: Awesome. Was everywhere. Did fantastically well for the third killer goal. I hope he?s on top form for Wembley. My man of the Match. 9

Fellaini: Did pretty well but played within himself a bit I reckon. 6

Cahill: Had a decent game and was a tad unlucky not to score I think. 6

Osman: Did OK. 6

Saha: Not exactly brilliant but did score two goals so I guess you can?t complain. Hopefully that?s got him fired up for Wembley. 6

Rodwell (for Fellaini): Did quite well. Got into the game pretty quickly and nearly set up a goal for Cahill. 6

Jo (for Cahill): Put himself about pretty well. 6

Vaughan (for Saha): Put himself about pretty well. 6

Reader Comments

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Ben Jones
1 Posted 18/05/2009 at 16:05:31

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A great article Paul and really nothing I seriously disagree with, the player ratings are all quite accurate. The only thing I?d say is Osman should get a 5; I'm not slagging him off, it?s just in my opinion, he was our worst player of the match, so deserves it. But other than that, the team played well and I thoroughly enjoyed the win... cannot wait for the final now... COYB!!

Ric Wallace
2 Posted 18/05/2009 at 17:03:02

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Paul, have to disagree. There is no way on God?s Earth did Fellaini play at the same level at Osman.

A 6? Fellaini deserves at least a 7/8. He did the simple things well, and one stray pass aside, not only set up attacks but did very well tracking back as well.

Neil McKinney
3 Posted 18/05/2009 at 17:51:06

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Cheers Paul. I really like the way you and Ken throw in the match day experience as well as discussing the game. It?s the next best thing for those of us who can?t always make it to Goodison.

I disagree on the Howard comment though. It does initially look like he could?ve done better, but when I watched it on the MOTD replay from Tim?s perspective the ball loops up over an Everton Head (maybe Cahill) then viciously curls away from Tim as he dives. It was a real thunderbolt and I think it would be harsh to lay any more blame at Howard?s feet than at Cahill who should have closed him down quicker.

I cannot take issue with any of your player ratings as the pathetic highlights on MOTD didn?t show enough to really form an opinion other than the fact Pienaar is playing out of his skin at the moment. Most match reports I have read gave more credit to Fellaini than you do as well, but it is rare that I agree with the football hacks so I?ll reserve judgment.

Good result and satisfactory performance. I never thought getting 5th would hold so much importance for me, but I really hope we do it. Not, of course, at the expense of a cup win, but I feel we are more worthy of the 5th place as we are likely to show the Europa League more respect and try and win it. Villa only wanted CL and look where that got them. Fair play to them though they?ve had a good season overall.

On to Fulham and a chance to break a nasty little record that?s been hanging over us. I expect some players may be protected and I certainly won?t argue with that, but I hope we can get a 0-1 or something and seal the 5th spot.

COYB!!

Keith Glazzard
4 Posted 18/05/2009 at 19:07:14

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Fellaini was usually available for passes (not hopeful hoofs) from possession at the back. Control, lay off or head down to blue shirt, turn, go. Time and time again. Nothing spectacular, just most things right to make the wheels go round. Everton are now known as a passing team, like the West Hams of this world - and we played them off the park. We need much more of what Marouane Fellaini does very well.

Rodwell slotted into this style of play like he’d been born to do it. Twenty minutes of class from the 18 year old.

Andy Morden
5 Posted 18/05/2009 at 22:45:45

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6 for Cahill? I thought he had a great game. Always in space, ready for a pass, switched positions when the subs were made, and ran himself into the ground. Won the penalty too.

Also, Di Michelle is 33, so your assertion that he is one of West Ham’s mix of youth is wide of the mark!

Gerry Western
6 Posted 18/05/2009 at 22:46:03

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Paul, by my reckoning, Fellaini was a candidate for MotM. He was a huge influence on the game. In contrast, Osman never really figured and once again was a huge disappointment. I?m at a complete loss as to how you?ve managed to somehow match their scores. Still, they say it?s a game of opinions ? never a truer word spoken.

Matthew Salem
7 Posted 18/05/2009 at 23:44:16

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I, too, felt that Fellaini was our best player after Pienaar and I think that Howard made some amazing saves when our midfield and defence started to become sloppy.

On a totally different note, I live overseas and am flying into the UK on Saturday. I am trying to meet up with Evertonians before the Fulham game. Can anybody e-mail me if they know where (what pub or so) travelling Evertonians will meet before the game? I tried the Bulletin section a few days back, but my post never appeared. If you know where the away fans meet, please shoot me an e-mail. Cheers, xxkomnenosxx@hotmail.com

Lee Hind
8 Posted 19/05/2009 at 14:52:54

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Cracking write-up, thanks very much for that!! Just one thing, I can?t see a rating for Peanuts....

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