Mercurial Blues Produce Explosive Finale

West Ham United 1 - 2 Everton

In a half-serious tweet that crossed my timeline in the build-up to this match, someone announced that they were on their way to Upton Park for the Blues' final away game of the season but they didn't really know why. Given the two awful results that preceded this jaunt to East London, you could understand the sentiment.

By full time, basking in the elation that only a last-minute winner can give you, I'm sure the Evertonian in question had their answer. Even in this most disappointing of seasons, when our travelling fans have masochistically travelled the country and the Continent in their numbers with little to show for it in the grand scheme of things, the team can still produce these isolated moments of joy.

The deliverer of the reward for that unwavering support this time was Romelu Lukaku, in tandem with the oft-maligned Aiden McGeady, who stepped off the substitute's bench to replace the perhaps-departing Aaron Lennon to take advantage of some tiring legs on the left side of West Ham's defence, engineer space and then cross superbly for the Belgian to head home in the third minute of injury time.

Sam Allardyce in the opposition dugout probably felt sick to his stomach. He had joked in the week about the need to shackle Lukaku and prevent him from scoring against his side for a sixth time in succession and must have thought, as the game ticked into stoppage time, that his men had done the job. Instead, the 22-year-old added to this three other goals against the Hammers this term to become the first Everton player to score against the same team in four domestic games in the same season.

The result may not have been quite as important – although the win did lift Everton above their hosts on goal difference with one more match to play – but the timing of his goal was just as dramatic as his debut strike for the Blues in this fixture last season. And it ensured that the Blues walked away from the game with a spring in their step and just a bit more optimism about next season.

There is grounds for such optimism if Roberto Martinez can bring in the right kinds of players in the summer – and please let that include another striker as cover should, God forbid, the big man get injured – and instill some zip and purpose about his team's play across a full 90 minutes next season. Because, fundamentally, this remains a good team, but once again, just like the FA Cup tie against this same opposition in January, it took the concession of the opening goal to ignite the intensity in them that spurs them on and leads to goals.

Prior to Stewart Downing's 62-minute opener, Everton had, predictably, enjoyed the greater share of possession and created the better chances but Adrian in the home goal hadn't really been tested beyond Leon Osman's fourth-minute shot which the 'keeper had to push behind for a corner. Lukaku air-kicked the resulting set-piece and John Stones dragged the loose ball wide while the Belgian blazed his best chance of the first half over the bar just before the half-hour mark.

At the other end, Seamus Coleman had survived robust penalty appeals from the home team and fans for one of those ball-to-hand indicents that referees rarely give, Tim Howard beat away a powerful Downing drive and Stones blocked Enner Valencia's shot through a goalmouth melee to ensure that the score was goalless at the break.

This was ostensibly a battle to see who will finish 10th this season, but the game had two other sub-plots: firstly, the potential for one of these two clubs to be awarded a place in the Europa League next season via the Fair Play League and, secondly, the decision by Martinez to blood 19-year-old Brendan Galloway at left back.

On the former count, with Everton behind the Hammers in Uefa's complicated ranking, first-half bookings for Seamus Coleman and Gareth Barry had largely rendered the issue moot by the halfway stage, and both James McCarthy and Galloway would follow them into Kevin Friend's notebook in the second period.

Galloway's debut, meanwhile, appeared to put paid to the question of Luke Garbutt's future at Everton. Unless, of course, the manager felt he had seen enough of the 21-year-old by this stage and decided he would learn more by handing another Academy graduate their bow. Quite understandably, Galloway hadn't provided the kind of attacking presence associated with Baines or Garbutt but the youngster demonstrated remarkable Stones-esque composure on the ball and made a couple of key tackles that suggest the club may have unearthed another gem.

After the game had restarted following the interval and Lukaku had briefly excited the away supporters when he swept a direct free kick agonisingly wide and hit the stanchion behind the goal, it was West Ham who finally succeeded where Everton had failed in picking the lock of the opposition defence. Alex Song's neat pass caught Galloway flat-footed as Downing ghosted in behind him and the ex-Liverpool midfielder tucked a shot inside the far post to give West Ham a lead they hadn't really merited on the balance of play.

It lit a fire under Everton, though, and they were level within six minutes. Lukaku's step-over routine on the right flank was followed by a well-placed cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Osman took one touch and then swivelled on the proverbial six-pence of football cliches past to steer the ball home in superb fashion.

A minute later, Ross Barkley, who had made an enterprising start to the contest but faded badly as it wore on, found himself on the end an almost carbon copy move but, from about twice the distance from goal, he ballooned his shot into the stands.

Nevertheless, the Blues were more energised now and took on a more potent feel when Kevin Mirallas replaced Barkley with 20 minutes to go and the game really opened up into more of an end-to-end affair. Song headed a great chance over at one end and Lukaku planted one header wide and saw another decent left-foot shot palmed behind by Adrian at the other. But it looked as though the spoils would be shared until McGeady and Lukaku combined for the second time in the game with thrilling results.

Lukaku peeled off his marker to meet the Irishman's inviting cross and threw himself forward to power it past the hapless goalkeeper and send the away end into rapture. The striker's own reaction at notching what was only his second from open play and reaching the 20 mark for the season told the story of how much it meant to him and it completed a memorable debut for Galloway.

Victory at home against Tottenham next weekend will guarantee that 10th-place finish; beyond that lies a vital summer that will be key to what will be a very telling third season under Martinez.

Follow @EFCLyndon

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