Just when Everton thought they might start 2014 by keeping Liverpool out of the Champions League positions, they were caught out at Stoke by a goal from an Anfield loanee.
Roberto Martinez watched his emergency centre-half pairing of John Stones and Antolin Alcaraz cope reasonably well with Peter Crouch and Stoke’s supposed aerial threat but the entire Everton defence was guilty of ball-watching when Oussama Assaidi gave his side a lead that lasted until the 90th minute with a shot along the ground.
Everton got back into the game only when Jermaine Pennant carelessly gave away a stoppage-time penalty, allowing Leighton Baines to equalise from the spot.
“I thought one goal would win the match and after we hit the woodwork twice I thought it wasn’t going to be our day,” Martinez said. “I was pleased with the way we kept going to force Stoke back, even if we are left feeling that two points have been dropped.”
Stoke should have taken the lead with the first penetrative attack of the game after a quarter of an hour, when enterprising passing by Steven Nzonzi and Jon Walters down the right produced a cross that Charlie Adam tried to reach and inadvertently helped the ball on to Assaidi in an even better position. Tim Howard made a sharp save.
Elusive lead
Assaidi showed up well in Stoke's early forays, seeing another goalbound effort blocked by Alcaraz just before the interval, though Everton came closest to a first-half goal when Kevin Mirallas cut in from the wing to unleash a shot that rattled Thomas Sorensen's crossbar. Mirallas also created a decent shooting chance for Ross Barkley on the stroke of half-time, only to see the England striker spoon the ball over the bar.
Stoke took the lead within five minutes of the restart, Assaidi drilling home a low shot past Seamus Coleman’s hesitant challenge after picking up a half-clearance.
Everton kept looking for an equaliser but, mostly thanks to Erik Pieters, Stoke were standing firm until Pennant came on to have two penalty area hacks at Leon Osman. Andre Marriner penalised the second and Baines sent Butland the wrong way to make Stoke pay for defending too deep in the later stages.
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