Moment of Mirallas Magic Lights Up Workmanlike Win

By Lyndon Lloyd   ::  30/03/2013

Everton notched a third straight League win for the first time this season to keep pace in the chase for Europe thanks to an electric moment from Kevin Mirallas shortly before the half-hour mark at Goodison Park. The Belgian's superb individual goal proved to be enough against a typically resilient but relatively toothless Stoke outfit who lost on the road for the sixth game on the bounce.

Though this was a markedly less tempestuous affair than the reverse fixture at the Britannia Stadium in December, it was a grind at times for an Everton side that lacked the intensity and the cohesiveness that they'd displayed against Manchester City a fortnight ago. Exhibiting a rare three-man back line boasting Sylvain Distin, John Heitinga and the returning Phil Jagielka, the Blues started slowly and had spells of decent play but despite registering twice the number of shots as their one-dimensional opponents, they couldn't find the second goal that would have made the closing stages more comfortable.

Thankfully, Mirallas pounced just as David Moyes's side were emerging from their shells but they could easily have been a goal down inside three minutes. A trademark long throw from the right flank, from Ryan Shotton these days and not Rory Delap, was nodded goalwards by Robert Huth but though Tim Howard's one-handed save fell straight to Jonathan Walters, the Irish forward could only turn the ball onto the crossbar from close range.

Though Moyes had fielded two strikers in the form of Nikica Jelavic and Victor Anichebe in Mariouane Fellaini's absense and the three central defenders effectively gave Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman license to push forward down the flanks, Everton were perplexingly inoffensive for the opening 20 minutes and some sloppy distribution threatened to be their undoing.

Things started to click a little more halfway through the first period, though, particularly when Baines sparked to life and it was his cut-back that served up a headed opportunity for Jelavic in the 23rd minute but the Croatian could only direct his effort into Asimir Begovic's arms.

Two futher deliveries by Baines into the danger zone just eluded Jelavic before Coleman bamboozled his way past Walters and into the area but he ballooned a left-foot shot into the Park End on his weaker left foot.

Stoke's modus operandi for almost all of the game was to pump the ball towards the Everton box and with the height they boast throughout the side, particularly with Peter Crouch on the field, it was a tactic that threatened to pay dividends at any time. Potential danger in the home team's box turned to the winning goal after 27 minutes, though, when Howard, returning after two games out with a back injury, fisted clear Kirk Cameron's cross from the left.

The ball fell to Mirallas and, after Stephen N'Zonzi had failed to check his progress, the Belgian raced forward with single-minded intent towards the visitors' area. A decisive change in direction took him past the last man in the form of the retreating Cameron and he tucked the ball home off Begovic's arm.

It was the kind of goal that is so rarely seen at Goodison given the lack of genuine pace in Moyes's squad but it highlighted just how potent a weapon Mirallas can be on the counter-attack when given the chance.

The Blues maintained some momentum for the remainder of the half and Mirallas flashed a right-footed shot across the face of Begovic's goal shot and inches past the far post, Heitinga raked a long-range effort over, Jelavic saw a fairly tame free kick gathered by the 'keeper and Mirallas fired a deflected shot behind after a neat one-two with Anichebe.

At the other end, Shawcross had the ball in the net but was rightly penalised for offside and Howard was equal to Walters' speculative shot from distance, parrying the ball away to safety five minutes before the interval.

The second half began as stodgily as had the first from Everton's perspective and as things began to get a little more testy and niggly, it seemed to be playing into Stoke's hands. The second of back-to-back corners 10 minutes after half-time was scooped away from the six-yard box but Anichebe was adjudged to have fouled Shotton outside his own area. The resulting free kick found Huth at the back post but, thankfully, he headed wide.

Howard's goal escaped an even closer call six minutes later when another inswinging cross was fired into the danger zone and Shotton headed narrowly over at the far post with the American goalkeeper stranded.

Though Anichebe was holding the ball up well and taking no nonsense from Stoke's physical defence and Mirallas began to re-emerge as a threat in the game around the hour mark and saw a half-volley deflect behind off Shawcross, Everton generally lacked fluidity. In a more withdrawn role, Leon Osman was subdued and failed to dictate the game in a way that he sometimes has this season. Darron Gibson was mostly steady but suffered from lapses in concentration that gifted possession to the opposition, and though Jelavic's workrate was typically first-rate, he was pretty dreadful with the ball at his feet.

One giveaway too many in an advanced position by the Croatian prompted Moyes to get Ross Barkley stripped off and ready to come on after 65 minutes but a decent far-post header off a Gibson cross that Begovic saved bought Jelavic a stay of execution. He was markedly improved from that point on and after Baines had smashed a free kick into the defensive wall, the striker whipped a direct kick from almost the same position inches wide.

Barkley made his entrance with 10 minutes to go but it was Mirallas who made way, ominously clutching his upper leg and hobbling off the bench. The young midfielder initially brought a bit more composure to the midfield but the Blues eventually settled into a more defensive posture in the final few minutes and Stoke launched aerial bombs forward hoping that something would break for them.

That it didn't owed much to determined Everton defending, led by Jagielka, as they battled constantly against Tony Pulis' array of height. Given the number of times Everton have thrown away points from winning positions this season, the slender nature of the 1-0 lead made for a nervy finale but only Jerome came close to breaking Goodison hearts when he swept the ball a foot over from the angle.

An attractive display of free-flowing football was never on the cards given the nature of the opposition and, by the same token, the three points are all that matters. The performance from Everton was a little flat but they got the job done and, thanks to Chelsea's defeat at Southampton, there are just four points separating fourth from sixth. With those crucial three games to come at White Hart Lane, the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge, the Blues' European hopes really could lie in their own hands but they will need to step up their game starting next week if they are to achieve them. Cometh the hour, cometh the men?

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