Everton work ethic pays off

While it is probably inconceivable that these two famous old clubs will finish in the same half of the Premiership table come season's end next May, they finished in tandem yesterday - only just but rightly so.

Manchester United's collective belief in their own enviable, considerable abilities is such that they quite possibly believed that one goal would be sufficient to deny Everton. It almost was.

But, if it did nothing else the Merseysiders' late equaliser, barely two minutes from time, courtesy of Jaap Stam's headed own goal, gently mocked the Mancunian theory that Sir Alex Ferguson's lads have the copyright on staging grand finales.

"We got our reward for working very hard," said the lugubrious Everton manager Walter Smith, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

They did, indeed, and only the most unsympathetic of neutrals would have begrudged them the rather fortuitous goal which earned them a point and which, perhaps, proved one as well.

"We are kicking ourselves for not winning," said Sir Alex, for once without even a hint of bitterness. "I am disappointed but I can't be too displeased by the result or by the performance, even though we did have a lot of chances."

This summer, if there was a straw for Everton's fans to clutch, it was the potential of the young striker Francis Jeffers until, that was, the latest would-be member of English football's filthy rich society announced, on Friday, that he wished to reward those who had nurtured his raw talent by departing for a club with deeper pockets.

Perceiving unnecessary avarice, Smith did not include the youngster yesterday. Good on him.

With Kevin Campbell playing as a solitary striker, Everton's midfield was flooded with willing workers and a rugged, uncompromising defence was anchored around Dave Watson and Richard Gough, two men who have already celebrated their 37th birthdays.

If Everton's plan was to protect the status quo, to in some way frustrate their opponents, it was undone so early as to force a rethink which yielded a far more ambitious game plan.

Everton's problem, indeed everyone's problem, is that United do not panic when things are not quite falling for them; neither do they sulk. They simply persevere, rolling on until the pieces snap into place.

Even while shadow boxing early on, the United midfield served up sufficient chances to have moved the game and its rewards beyond Everton. Paul Scholes would have nudged United in front after just three minutes had Paul Gerrard not sprinted gamely from his line to save marvellously.

But Gerrard was not so fortunate four minutes later when the red tide finally washed up and over the thin blue line.

It was a precise goal, too. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fed Andy Cole, who in turn released Dwight Yorke. Once the ball lay at Yorke's feet the outcome was never in any doubt, a crisp, low drive accounting for the unprotected Gerrard.

Thereafter, Everton diligently set about making life most uncomfortable for their guests, producing some impressive football which would have served them well against a lesser side.

With John Collins more than matching his United counterpart Roy Keane in the combative stakes and Nick Barmby and Don Hutchison adding some nice touches to a canvas which many had assumed would be universally grey, Everton shaped as if to recover and prosper.

Burdened by expectation, Peter Schmeichel's successor in United's goal, Mark Bosnich seemed likely to usher Everton towards an escape route each time he was required to make a simple clearance. Shot-stopping is the Australian's forte, not kicking great distances.

While Hutchison did strike a post with a first-half header, the closest the Merseysiders went to restoring parity before the afternoon's breathless finale was three minutes after the interval when they fluffed two gloriously presentable opportunities in quick succession.

After Bosnich had stopped but not held Hutchison's drive, Barmby's angled shot was cleared by Phil Neville and then Campbell's effort was blocked by Henning Berg. But, commendably, they were not to be denied and as the clock counted down Barmby threw himself forwards to turn goalwards a David Unsworth cross from the left.

Barmby's header would probably have found its way into the crowd had it not flicked off the forehead of Stam.

The Dutchman was distraught by the goal which soured a fine personal performance. He tried to head Barmby's header away from goal but only succeeded in diverting it beyond Bosnich.

"The ball was going over my head and I stepped back and tried to play it away," he said. "But it was coming straight at me and it flew off my head into the corner. We had lots of chances and we just never finished them off. They had just one and it was a lucky goal."

EVERTON: Gerrard, Ward (Cadamarteri 70), Watson, Gough, Weir, Barmby, Gemmill, Collins, Unsworth, Hutchison (Phelan 85), Campbell. Subs Not Used: Ball, Pembridge, Simonsen. Booked: Collins, Watson, Gough. Goals: Stam 86 og.

MAN UTD: Bosnich, Neville, Berg, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Cole, Yorke, Solskjaer (Butt 76). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Sheringham, Curtis, Cruyff. Booked: Keane. Goals: Yorke 7.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).