English FA Premiership: Everton 1 - Tottenham 2Jermaine Jenas smashed a 20-yard late winner to give Tottenham only their second away win of the season. David Moyes claims that Goodison Park under floodlights is an "exciting and exuberant place" but even Everton's manager would surely agree that last night was a pedestrian exception.
Horribly reliant on set-pieces for goal creation, his side failed to conjure the win which would have lifted them to seventh place, while Tottenham once again spluttered on their travels.
While Everton enjoyed a break in Spain last week Spurs were busy preparing to overcome Fulham in the FA Cup and Martin Jol has duly claimed his team's largely disappointing League form to be "the victim of our success in the cups". Even so, floundering around in mid-table and winning just once away all season has hardly been the sort of form expected from a side who finished fifth last term.
In mitigation, Tottenham's sometimes ambitious passing game was frequently much easier on the eye than Everton's rather more direct, aerial approach.
Yet with Didier Zokora proving effective as a quasi sweeper between defence and midfield, Spurs certainly looked capable of thwarting Everton's European ambitions.
Nevertheless, Paul Robinson was soon forced to emphasise his England credentials, Jol's goalkeeper doing well to tip Leon Osman's volley away for a corner after his defence failed to clear their lines. Despite much visiting fancy footwork, Tim Howard had a quiet first half, though things might have been different for Everton's keeper had Robbie Keane properly connected with Dimitar Berbatov's headed flick on after Zokora's through pass caught Moyes's backline cold.
No matter; Spurs were ahead when the loosely marked Berbatov swept Aaron Lennon's cross beyond Howard courtesy of a rising shot. Osman will not have been happy with his part in the goal, the Everton midfielder having ceded possession to Teemu Tainio who played in the accelerating Lennon and watched the winger's pacey close control prove far too good for Alan Stubbs and company.
Undeterred, Everton equalised before the break after a controversially awarded free kick given for Michael Dawson's arguable foul on Victor Anichebe when some thought the dead ball should have gone the other way.
Following a hiatus while Uriah Rennie consulted with a linesman, Mikel Arteta curled a superlative effort beyond Robinson from well outside the area.
The second half began with Robinson again saving well from the impressive Osman at the conclusion of a chance conjured by the somewhat ineffective James Beattie.
With Tottenham's morale seemingly dented by the equaliser, Everton seized the momentum, forcing a series of set pieces, one of the more memorable featuring Osman heading wide after meeting another Arteta free kick.
That said Howard was required to dive smartly to repel Berbatov's low, counter-attacking shot. Pascal Chimbonda made an important goal-line clearance as Everton pressed for the winner but home fans will surely have been dismayed by their team's reliance on those set plays.
Guardian Service
EVERTON: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Osman, Carsley, Fernandes (Hibbert 85), Arteta, Anichebe (Naysmith 45), Beattie, Naysmith (Vaughan 90). Subs not used: Wright, Anderson. Booked: Anichebe, Neville.
TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Gardner, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon (Malbranque 80), Jenas, Zokora, Tainio, Keane, Berbatov. Subs not used: Cerny, Stalteri, Ghaly, Defoe. Booked: Dawson.
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
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