Everton recorded
their fourth away win of the season last night, coming back from a goal behind to
claim three well-deserved points against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Marouane Fellaini returned
from his Christmas holidays to partner Nikica Jelavic in attack, while Phil
Neville recovered from the knock that kept him out of the defeat to Chelsea in
time to replace Thomas Hitzlsperger in midfield. Injuries to Seamus Coleman and
Tony Hibbert meant that Phil Jagielka again covered at right-back.
The game couldn’t
have gotten off to a worse start, as a lack of communication between John
Heitinga and Sylvain Distin, who have known each other for a while now, led to Papiss
Cisse getting in behind the Everton defence and looping a header over a
stranded Tim Howard after just two minutes.
David Moyes’ side
regrouped and dominated possession throughout what was an open, entertaining
first half, but were lucky not to fall further behind when James Perch rose
above Heitinga to head against the post from a Vurnon Anita free kick. With the
transfer window once again open, I don’t think anyone would be surprised (or
arsed) if this turned out to be Heitinga’s last game in a blue shirt.
Steven Pienaar
should have equalised when the phenomenal Leighton Baines sent him through one
on one against Tim Krul, but the South African instead fired a tame effort
straight at the onrushing goalkeeper. More good work down the left from Pienaar
saw Fellaini presented with a chance to pull one back, but he too was wasteful.
With half time
looming it looked as though Newcastle would make it to the break with their
lead intact. That was until Fellaini won an admittedly soft free kick from
Cheick Tiote, which Baines, swinging his left boot like the Hammer of Thor,
blasted into the top corner. He’s just the best.
Newcastle almost
started the second half as well as they did the first, when Fellaini’s lazy
flick was picked up by Anita, who chipped a ball over the top which Shola
Ameobi brought down well before shooting wide of Howard’s left post.
As part of the
original crop of English players that keep getting contracts on the back of
their ‘potential’, until one day someone realises they’re thirty years old and
have about fourteen goals to their name, Ameobi is a great example of how
quickly a career in football can pass by without anything notable happening. Seeing
this from his seat on the bench, Victor Anichebe entered the fray on the hour mark
and made an immediate impact.
A great move down
the left saw Baines pick out Jelavic, who combined with Pienaar and Fellaini before
setting off down the wing, wrong-footing Fabricio Coloccini and crossing low
for Anichebe to finish less than 90 seconds after he was sent on to replace
Steven Naismith. It was arguably Everton’s best team goal of the season so far.
The remaining half-hour saw chances for both teams, with Newcastle’s best opportunity coming
when Cisse was thwarted twice in quick succession – first by Heitinga and then
Howard – while the Blues continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack.
If Everton are
serious about challenging for a Champions League spot then they’re going to
have pick up a few wins on the road where most would settle for a point, and on
this evidence it’s something they’re capable of doing. Obviously it’ll be
difficult, not least because the team directly above have just gone out and
bought Demba Ba, but with his side entering the new year in fifth place, Moyes
must be starting to believe it’s possible, if improbable.
