Bolton Wanderers - 0 Everton - 1: One look into David Moyes's alarmingly steely eyes is generally sufficient for critics to realise Everton's manager is not remotely vulnerable to bullying.
Having watched his players pushed around in sometimes humiliating fashion in the first half, Moyes evidently told them they had to put a stop to Bolton's intimidation by not only starting to throw a little weight of their own around but endeavouring to muster a few passing sequences.
Possibly even more terrified of the Scot's post-match stares than a Bolton side whose combativeness was epitomised by their "Killer Kevins", Davies and Nolan, Everton rallied with Marcus Bent sealing a restorative win ahead of Wednesday's Champions League date at Villarreal.
"We defended very well against a constant bombardment," said Moyes, who will be without Alessandro Pistone in Spain, the left back having damaged ankle ligaments while challenging Henrik Pedersen. "I can count on one hand the teams who will win here this season. At half-time I told my players to get the ball down and play as much as possible because they were getting too many dead balls. And soon after the ball goes dead here it flies into your box."
Bolton's manager Sam Allardyce struggled to comprehend his side's aerial blitz had failed to yield even a draw. "To say I'm frustrated is an understatement," he said. "We didn't take advantage of our opportunities when we were dominating."
Indeed, accomplished as Tim Cahill's low, left-foot cross and Bent's right-foot, close-range dispatch were, Everton's winner had a comedic dimension. The ball only fell to Cahill when Duncan Ferguson failed to jump high enough to flick on Joseph Yobo's diagonal pass. Bent later limped off after Ricardo's Gardner's tackle. The goal arrived shortly after Moyes's apparently astringent half-time homily but, until then, gamblers would have been tempted to back Kevin Davies as the likeliest scorer.
Some years ago a journalist interviewed Davies at a Lancashire hotel in the wake of his disastrous £7 million transfer from Southampton to Blackburn. When coffee was ordered, the waiter wondered if the reporter would care for some biscuits, or perhaps a piece of cake. Then, turning to the striker he announced: "Sorry I can't offer you any Mr Davies; the club have asked us to be strict about the diet sheet they've sent for you."
Davies is still a bit burly but Bolton's reborn target man plays as if he feasts on raw meat these days, proving a relentless penalty-area nuisance. After warming up by using his battering-ram physique to bundle Yobo over in the opening minutes, he forced saves from Nigel Martyn that suggested the Everton man rather than David James should understudy Paul Robinson for England.
Everton's goalkeeper may be 39 but he advanced well to dive smartly, and bravely, at Davies' feet, denying the centre forward a near-certain goal after Jay-Jay Okocha's through-pass had conjured the opening. Okocha's ball was an isolated uplifting moment amid the depressing high punts and long throws that have long been Bolton's modus operandi, and too often yesterday seemed Everton's default mode.
Yet as effective a job as Allardyce's front three - Pedersen and El-Hadji Diouf flanked Davies - did in roughing up Moyes' defence, the imprecise nature of the service was reflected by inaccurate finishing. Tellingly, one of Bolton's best chances featured Gary Speed directing a header a tad too high.
Another, late, opening saw Diouf's shot rebound off the underside of the bar but, refusing to be cowed, Martyn's impeccable handling and judgment in the face of much extremely unfriendly fire ensured Allardyce's men were thwarted.
Guardian Service
