Attack, Attack, Attack Attack Attack

Everton 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur

With Tim Cahill off to conquer a portion of the world at the Asian Cup in Qatar for the next four to six weeks, David Moyes elected to break up the fledgling Fellaini-Rodwell partnership to make room for two recognized (if misfiring) strikers, Saha and Beckford, with Heitinga selected in his natural position at centre-back for the first time this season, and two of his favourite players ? Hibbert and Osman ? both on the bench, where Gueye returns after a bit of a break.

Some nice early play was spoilt by a poor first touch from Beckford that lost Everton possession and allowed Spurs to mount their first attack, but it was snuffed out and Everton looked to build through the middle again, and their positive approach paid massive dividends in the third minute. Louis Saha stroked home a beautiful ground shot of a simple ball in to him from Baines on the wing, he had time to turn, come inside and shoot unerringly past Gomes with his right foot to open the scoring in excellent fashion, a superb finish from the previously goal-starved Frenchman.

Would Everton build or consolidate? It was a great start, but Spurs then dominated the next 5 mins; Van der Vaart saw a chance and came very close to surprising Howard from distance with what would have been a spectacular strike. Then Crouch easily got over Heitinga and could have exacted revenge off a dangerous deep ball from Van der Vaart.

There was a big shout for a blatant push on Beckford by Hutton as Neville swung in a good cross. At the other end, Everton paused for a foul when Hutton's deep cross came in but Crouch headed into the danger area and Van der Vaart had all the time in the world to power his header past Howard who was already collapsing into the net, a very poor goal to concede.

Fellaini did well to intercept a Tottenham clearance but should have slipped it to Beckford, who was better positioned inside the area as he shot straight at Gomes. Everton put together a promising attack on 17 mins with Neville beating his man and cutting in but Beckford tried to be too clever with a difficult final ball from Saha. Good work at the back by Heitinga dispossessed Bale.

Some lively contact play, a lot involving Neville in feisty mood, was perfect to keep the Everton crowd up and behind the team. Some brilliant work by Coleman should have bought more than a corner, from which a lovely clipped in ground ball by Saha found Beckford with what looked like enough space and time but he scooped it horribly over the bar under pressure from a defender.

The next attack saw some excellent passing that got the ball in to Beckford again but his attempted turn was a little naive and Coleman could not finish the loose ball. Arteta gave away a free-kick that Heitinga headed out for a corner which was delivered dangerously but fractionally overhit by Van der Vaart and thankfully wasted.

Half-a-hour gone and it was an excellent game, fairly evenly balanced, with Everton perhaps looking the brighter and more adventurous going forward, while the Blues defence was generally coping with the renowned Spurs attacking threat. But Everton were slowing he game down too much in possession, although Arteta's snapshot did take a deflection that forced a Gomes save. They looked far better playing the ball on the ground through the middle and down the channels but too many attacks ending in lofted crosses were being easily dealt with by the massed Spurs defence.

A great steal by Coleman allowed Neville to fire in an equally good cross for Beckford but he could not get sufficient height over the ball and it looked like another poor miss as the ball looped over and wide. Arteta committed another poor foul, and Crouch still beat Fellaini to head wide. Pienaar was being almost too clever on occasions, his decisions puzzling his long-time partner Baines as he sought perhaps to impress 'Arry with flicks and backheels that bamboozled his Everton colleagues.

The Blues were giving away possession a little too easily at times, and choosing the daft back-pass for a hoof from Howard far too often instead of building on the ground. The threat from Van der Vaart was always there, a tremendous acrobatic shot from the Dutchman thankfully flying high and wide.

A dreadful giveaway by Saha from another one of those hideous needlessly stupid backward balls saw Spurs take the lead... except that Crouch had incredibly strayed offside and the goal was ruled out. Another Spurs free-kick and Van der Vaart powered his drive just inches over. But surely some huge warnings for the Blues to tighten things up in the second half...

Arteta drew a foul in a central location that he drove in low into the melee to zero effect. A superb piece of football saw Saha slip a driven ball from defence sweetly out to Coleman who ran all the way and then passes it straight into Gomes's hands. Hopeless! Dawson elbowed Coleman in the back of his head but got away with it as the ref was a little too lenient on Spurs' physical attentions.

Beckford again showed his naiveté who a headed ball in from Coleman as he looked for a non-existent foul rather than using his strength and body position to beat the defender. Bale then ran at Neville who stopped him and went in the book for his troubles, given Van der Vaart anther opportunity that he drove wide to the far post for a corner off Distin. Bale went off with a back problem, to be replaced by Niko Kranjcar

Howard defended the corner but having all 11 back meant that the ball was returned from half-way with interest for another Spurs attack. An hour gone and Everton still pushing but Van der Vaart somehow beat Distin and really tested Howard. At the other end, a perfect cross from Coleman was met on the volley by Saha about his drive was clipped away from goal off Hutton.

Coleman again got ahead to the line but his cut back was too close to Gomes. He then got another chance after great work by Fellaini but curled his shot high and wide. Fellaini then brilliantly fed a through-ball to Saha but he moved the ball onto his right foot and drove over.

With so much attacking verve but no end product since the early goal, the script was beginning to look ominously familiar, Everton having played their best football of the season. Jenas gave away another central free-kick but Baines delivered it too low. A wonderful win on the wing by Fellaini was totally wasted as Arteta had no idea what to do with it and another glorious chance to pressure Spurs was wasted.

Spurs snapped up another chance but he drove straight at Gomes when more guile was needed. After almost 30 mins of sustained Everton attacking, Heitinga gave away a dangerous free-kick that Kranjcar swung in and Saha defended. Spurs then waltzed into the are down the Everton left and Van der Vaart looked certain to score but Howard pulled off an excellent close-range stop.

Crouch was allowed to run a long way with the ball and his high shot needed saving by Howard. Worrying play off the corner looked liked shooting practice for the Spurs team as they took turns in firing and Everton defence blocked solidly. But, after a long spell of Everton dominance, the impetus was swinging back to Spurs as Moyes started his 5-minute sideline lecture of Yakubu.

But before he could come on, Beckford with an excellent touch set in Saha for a good run and a really fierce shot that Gomes could only punch into the ground where it bounced up perfectly for Seamus Coleman to head home confidently and give Everton a more than fully deserved lead. Yakubu then replaced Beckford. for the last 15 mins, and then Keane replaced Lennon.

With a secure lead to sit on Everton stopped building on the ground when in possession and instead resorted to some horrible hoofed clearances, tempting Spurs to do their worst. But the onslaught was punctuated by occasional better spells of joined-up football although lacking the conviction that was there earlier. Time for a couple of subs: first Osman on for Pienaar, who picked up a knock, in the 87th minute, followed by Rodwell coming of Saha and a moment of appreciation from the buoyant Goodison crowd.

Could Everton hold on for their first win at Goodison Park since October? Time ticked on, but it was nail-biting stuff when the white shirts had possession as 4 minutes were added on. Everton kept getting good possession and should have dome more with it, Fellaini releasing Yakubu for a run in on the Spurs goal but the tame effort was nothing short of pathetic. Osman had a poke that Gomes handled comfortably.

Assou-Ekoto shoulder barged Neville off the ball, quite fairly, said the officials, as the screams for the final whistle rang around Goodison and Crouch flattened Osman. A final free-kick and that was it. An excellent win, playing much more positive, adventurous, attacking football with most players in their correct positions ? and no Tim Cahill. Hmmmm...

Return to the Editors Blog