Everton 2 PSV Eindhoven 0

Pre-season Friendly, Tuesday 8 August 1995

Everton's 2-0 result flattered them in much the same way that the 2-2 Celtic result did not do them justice.

Lacking width with Limpar missing, Everton blundered along up the middle and were lucky that PSV, who included Jan Wouters, Arther Numan, and Peter Hoekstra did not seem interested in putting up a fight in the first half.

Grant snapped up a loose ball to score on 13 mins after a run from Barrett drew the (black!) keeper early & it rebounded. TG then completely missed a clear chance to get a second unmarked in the box with an awkwardly dropping ball, but the ball found him twice more for long drives, one of which clipped (not thundered!) the bar and the other went to the keeper.

2 mins before half time Dunc beat the offside trap to run wide and cross where Rideout's low Andy-Gray-type dive headed in unmolested. PSV's only real shot had been after a lone corner had been gained from a deflection off Rhino.

Rideout was subbed off for Amo after only 4 mins of the 2nd half (a knock?). 10 minutes into the 2nd half the Dutch side came alive. They started to run, challenge, got the run of the ball and strung attacks together. They never seemed to get power, or always shot at Nev, but the pressure kept up and a goal looked certain eventually.

Amo had a couple of breakaways but looked back to his ineffective self. The rest of the team seemed to be running OK, but the way they struggled to get the ball, you had to wonder about their fitness.

Somehow after a two good and one great Nev save, Everton held on, but remember 2-0 at home is the minimum 'safe' requirement in Euro-matches.

I'd award all the players 7, including for his efforts my Man-of-the Match, Tony Grant.

Team: Southall, Barrett, Hinchcliffe, Unsworth, Ablett (right centre back!), Parkinson, Samways, Horne, Rideout (w49 Amokachi), Ferguson, Grant (w85 Smith).

Other Stuff

PSV finished 3rd in the Dutch league last season - their lowest place since 1981. PSV won the European Cup in 1988. (BOO! we should have had that one!).

PSV played in Red shirts with thin white stripes and a white chest band at the armpits for the sponsor (Philips, of course); Black shorts with a red side stripe, and red socks with a black band at the top and 2 white bands at shin height.

PSV stands for Philips Sport Vereniging. Eindhoven is just near the German border, and apart from the stadium and Philips there is a superb science museum called 'Evoluon' there.

'Dixie' is a very sad foam rubber thing with a blue toffee body and Jimmy Tarbuck teeth who (due to the bulk and sponginess of the suit walks like a spaceman who's shit his pants). He got ignored by the ~9300 crowd.

Joe confirmed my theory (heh :-) that the Trannies were playing their FIFTH game when they beat us in our first, and Celtic were in their SIXTH.

Dave Shepherd