A wet day in Blackpool

An unchanged starting line-up for Everton at the first league encounter at Bloomfield Road since 1971. Keith Southern, previously of Everton Reseves, playing for Blackpool., while Seamus Coleman returns to the club he helped bring up to the Premier League with his loan spell last season. On the bench, no room for Magaye Gueye, who has been there for every game so far... but has still not been given his Premier League debut. A quiet start saw Distin eventually go Route One to Yakubu whose cushioned header back to Cahill was leathered high wide and horrible!

Arteta gave away a poor free-kick on 9 mins that Eardley powered a little too easily round the wall and well past Howard into the Everton net. Howard perhaps at fault?

Blues shocked and stunned... but it didn't take long before great work by Distin in the build-up preceded an exquisite turn and chip by Yakubu that was nodded in superbly past Gilks off a great header from Cahill.

First corner won on 20 mins but Arteta floated it far too high and deep. Eardley was booked for a mistimed clip on Cahill. A second goal was close when Cahill and Yakubu combined but Cahill's snapshot was blocked off Yakubu into the keeper's hands.

Some excellent passing finally released Baines into the area but he took an extra touch as Everton took full control, camping out in the Blackpool half. More intricate play by Pienaar almost set up Yakubu but he was rapidly closed down.

Crainey clashed legs with Coleman, giving away a free kick wide right that Arteta clipped in well (fast and low) but it was headed clear. Coleman made a great drive into the area, beating three men before driving a fierce shot just wide.

After bossing the first half, Heitinga cnceded a 'professional' free-kick in the centre-circle and in the ensuing attack, Everton just could not get the ball clear during a bit of goalmouth ping-pong that ended with David Vaughan scoring for Blackpool to stun the Blues again... But, again, it didn't take long for Everton to equalize, Coleman picking up Crainey's poor defensive header and running in with determination and firing off a low shot in on Gilks that he could only palm into the net.

Saha replaced The Yak on the hour mark, Southern also off for Phillips for Blackpool before Arteta clipped in a free-kick well won by Coleman on the right; but it ended in a break buy fresh-legged Phllips that Heitinga did well to thwart, and a follow-up drive from Adams flew thankfully wide.

A corner on 65 mins came to nought, Everton then playing the ball backward from a position of good possession. The game tempo was hotting up with some tremendous action at both ends, a great cross from Neville that was stolen off Saha's head (does he score with his head?), brilliant defending by Jagielka, a fantastic run and cross by Coleman, a superb one-two for Pienaar that he finished far too weakly, hitting the ball into the ground, a Baines corner bundled out by Jagielka as the rain lashed in from across the Irish Sea.

Last 20 mins and the match was on a knife-edge, Pienaar laid off a great ball for Saha and the third goal beckoned but incredibly, he clipped it wide!!! At the other end, Varney spun the Everton defenders but also fired well wide. Harewood and Grandin came on for Taylor-Fletcher and Varney as a lower-trajectory corner from Arteta was easily headed away. Pienaar then made way for Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, then Beckford received extensive instructions before replacing Heitinga with only 13 mins of normal time to claim the game.

Blackpool still had plenty of life in them but Bily and Becks combined only the big League One player couldn't get past his blocker. It was end-to-end in the pouring rain, Harewood trying it on from distance. Arteta getting too easily dispossessed as the pedulum swung back and forth. Cahill, a great run down the left, his low cross incredibly evading not one but four Blue shirts in the Blackpool area.

There were increasing signs of tiredness as possession was lost cheaply by both sides... 4-4-2 against 4-2-4. Jagielka put in a tremendous block to stop Adam shooting. Adam, with lots more space since Hietinga went off, fired again from distance but the ball flew over. The Seasiders kept attacking with conviction, preventing Everton from putting together meaningful attacks.

Then a strange run of play on the 90, as Harewood ran on to a good lob and slotted past Howard only for the goal to be called back for some infringement ? apparently a nudge by Harewood on Jagielka before he laid the ball off for the lob.

Jagielka then gave away a free-kick at the death that Adams drove for a corner off the Everton wall as it was all Blackpool in added time. But they didn't score and a very entertaining game finished 2-2. A game Everton had dominated for long periods but their superior possession and passing was not enough to produce the win, with the real cutting edge still missing up-front.

Return to the Editors Blog