Everton give Moyes winning Goodison send-off

Premier League, Goodison Park – Everton 2 (Mirallas 6, 60) West Ham United 0

 

Everton marked David Moyes's last home game as manager with a comfortable 2-0 win against West Ham United at Goodison Park thanks to two goals from Kevin Mirallas.

The hosts were dominant from the outset in Moyes’s penultimate game and it was of little surprise when Mirallas gave them a sixth minute lead.

While they dominated the rest of the half they were unable to add to their advantage with Victor Anichebe passing up a pretty presentable opportunity half way through the first period.

Mirallas then doubled his side’s advantage with an hour on the clock as the Toffees continued to dominate but Jussi Jaaskelainen was in inspired form as he denied the third goal the home side's play merited.

Andy Carroll, roundly booed throughout, almost halved the deficit late on but his header came back off the post and Everton closed out a win that ensured Moyes’s men finish above neighbours Liverpool.

No trophies arrived on his watch but Moyes came into his 426th Premier League game as manager of Everton knowing that a victory over West Ham would ensure the Toffees a second successive top-flight finish above Liverpool - something they've not achieved since 1937.

He has restored pride and competitiveness to one of England’s most esteemed clubs and was afforded a rousing send off from the home faithful for his 11 years of service.

His captain, Phil Neville, however, was denied a Goodison swansong by a knee injury but, that aside, Everton were full strength for their penultimate game of the season, so Moyes named an unchanged side from last weekend’s Merseyside derby.

If Moyes was concerned that the weight of emotion would bear heavily on his side he had need not as the Toffees immediately set about pinning back a rudderless West Ham United side.

And there were just six minutes on the clock as Mirallas finished off a flowing team move involving Leighton Baines, Leon Osman and Marouane Fellaini to give the home side the advantage their early supremacy had merited.

Osman, who had been afforded far too much space in midfield, almost added a second with twelve minutes on the clock when he showed a great sleight of foot to escape the clutches of Winston Reid and draw a save from Jaaskelainen.

While Osman’s opportunity had an air of difficulty to it, Anichebe should have doubled his side’s advantage with 23 minutes gone, but, having found himself onside and only seven yards out, the Nigerian international lacked composure and lashed an effort straight at Jaaskelainen.

The Hammers were abject for much of the first half but the advantage of utilising a direct style of play is that it can produce chances from very little.

And that was the case on the half hour mark when Matt Jarvis found Kevin Nolan early on the edge of the box, but Tim Howard was equal to the former Newcastle man’s volley as he pushed it wide of goal.

Despite that chance, Everton’s superiority was never in question and Fellaini was denied by a last ditch block from James Collins on 37 minutes as the hosts re-established their dominance.

Considering the extent of Everton’s excellence, Allardyce will have been happy to go to the interval just the one goal down.

The West Ham manager made a tactical switch at the interval with Carlton Cole entering the fray but, while the attacking nature of the switch was to be applauded, the decision to go from a five man to a four man midfield was puzzling considering the home side’s utter command of the area during the opening half.

Unsurprisingly, the Everton supremacy continued and although their second was fully merited, it was unlucky that the superb Collins was the man whose attempted last-ditch challenge deflected the Mirallas effort past Jaaskelainen in goal.

Jaaskelainen and Collins were the only players who emerged from an abject performance with any credit as first the keeper and then the Welsh international turned efforts from Osman and Steven Pienaar around the post.

The Hammers rallied late on with Joe Cole drawing a smart save from Howard in the Everton goal on 79 minutes before Carroll headed against the post with only four minutes left to play.

It was fitting though that the Toffees managed to keep a clean sheet, and a win next weekend over Chelsea would see Moyes sign off having garnered 66 points – Everton's highest tally in the Premier League era.

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Kevin Mirallas – A constant threat getting in behind West Ham, and capped a superb performance with a brace.

PLAYER RATINGS:

Everton: Howard 6, Coleman 7, Distin 6, Jagielka 6, Baines 7,Gibson 7, Mirallas 9, Osman 7, Pienaar 8, Fellaini 6, Anichebe 5. Subs: Hibbert 5, Jelavic 5, Oviedo 5.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 5, Collins 7, Reid 5, O'Brien 5, O'Neil 5, Diame 4, Nolan 5, Collison 4, Jarvis 5, Carroll 5. Subs: Noble 5, J.Cole 6, C.Cole 5.

 

Read more »

Reaction to Sir Alex Ferguson's final match at Old Trafford

Reaction after Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's final match at Old Trafford, a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

He will retire at the end of the season.

Ferguson: "I decided at Christmas. Cathy's sister died. She had lost her best friend and she has been isolated. For 47 years she has been the leader of the family. She has made a lot of sacrifices for me. It was difficult to keep it a secret. Sometimes we nearly blurted it out to the family and we told our sons in March but my brother didn't know until Tuesday. I wanted to tell the players first and also my staff. Unfortunately there were rumours going around on Tuesday so we started to speed it up a bit."

Ryan Giggs, veteran Manchester United midfielder: "Sir Alex just said play the game and not the occasion. He wanted to win the game, wanted it to be an entertaining game and for us to do the things which he has wanted us to as a manager. The memories of him that stick out are when I was younger. When I was 13 playing for Salford Boys and looking to the sidelines and there was Sir Alex Ferguson watching."

Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United captain: "It will be strange not to see him in the dressing room. This is a big club and will always be a big club but it is sad after so many years, without him is going to be sad. Even on the last day he wanted to win the game. He told us this is the mentality you have to have when I go, always fight, always want to win."

Michael Carrick, Manchester United midfielder: "It's been an emotional day for everyone. It was a strange feeling and it's been like that all week. It was a special, special day. Even in the changing room he tried to keep it as normal as possible but in the back of your mind you were thinking this is the last one. With the reception he got, it was amazing."

Robin van Persie, Manchester United striker: "It's an unbelievable day but a sad one as well. I had the honour to work with him for one year and it's been an unbelievable year. He's made such an impact on me. He may be the greatest manager ever and he's such a nice person."

Paul Scholes, retiring Manchester United midfielder: "It's been a good day. We've won the game, that's all that matters. We'll celebrate tonight and hopefully in more years there will be more trophies for these players. Today it was just nice to get through the game. I thought Sir Alex handled it well, he spoke really well and he has done a fantastic job here."

Michael Laudrup, Swansea City manager: "It is a special day. It is one thing that a manager in a big club stops, but this is a lifetime not a small era. It is incredible. I have a lot of respect for Sir Alex to have so many years in the same club, so unique. It is a lifetime."

Read more »

Adebayor scores crucial late winner for Spurs

Premier League, Britannia Stadium - Stoke City 1 (Nzonzi 3) Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Dempsey 20, Adebayor 83)

 

Emmanuel Adebayor scored a late winner for Tottenham as they came from a goal down to beat Stoke City 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium and move ahead of Arsenal into fourth place.

Steven Nzonzi headed Stoke in front after only three minutes but Tottenham laid siege to the home side's goal, Clint Dempsey pulling them level on 20 minutes with a clever instinctive finish to beat the stranded Asmir Begovic.

Stoke's hopes of taking a point were fatally damaged when Charlie Adam was dismissed after only a minute of the second half when being shown a second yellow card, even if Tottenham had to wait until the 83rd minute to claim their winner.

Benefitting from a fortunate deflection in the box, Adebayor built on his fine performance in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea in midweek when sweeping the ball home at the back post to put Spurs two points ahead of Arsenal having played a game more.

Had Tottenham been held to a draw, Arsenal would have only needed to beat Wigan at home on Tuesday to effectively secure a top-four spot with a game remaining. Thanks to the intervention of their former player, though, the pressure is now firmly back on the red half of North London and the battle for fourth will go to the final day.

Spurs brought Dempsey into the team at Lewis Holtby's expense in one of two changes, while Stoke replaced Cameron Jerome with Matthew Etherington in a first XI that lacked potency - indeed, only QPR had scored fewer than Stoke's 32 goals in 36 games.

Tony Pulis's side can be neutered effectively if they are denied the oxygen of set-pieces in advanced positions, which made it perplexing when Dempsey gave away a silly free-kick with only three minutes on the clock when kicking an opponent.

Adam stood over the ball and dropped a delicious delivery in to the near post, where Nzonzi had freed himself of his marker to direct a header at goal. Hugo Lloris got his glove to the ball but couldn't wrap his fingers around it and prevent it sneaking in.

The goal temporarily threw Spurs off their stride, but with the double player of the year in their ranks it was not long before Stoke were on the back foot once more. Gareth Bale, performing through the centre again, saw one wicked effort from 25 yards tipped over by Begovic and threatened on a number of other occasions.

Still, it was Dempsey who got Spurs back level, minutes after having an effort ruled out for offside when he flicked a shot past Begovic. Scott Parker chipped a pass through midfield and as Begovic came to the left of the box to claim the ball, Marc Wilson slid in to send it right, the ball rolling to Dempsey who spooned it home first time with a cute improvised finish from 25 yards.

Tottenham continued to dominate and their supremacy was hardly dented by a red card shown to Adam within a minute of the second half. Having already been rather harshly booked for a clumsy knock into Jan Vertonghen, he tripped the same player to concede a rather more blatant foul.

Vertonghen, who provided so much energy from left-back, then went close to claiming a second for his side when he got free at the back post to meet a free-kick and headed over the bar. Dempsey also saw a 20-yard piledriver touched over by Begovic, while Bale flashed a right-footed effort just wide from the vicinity of the penalty spot, as Stoke continued to soak up pressure.

Robert Huth wasted a rare chance for the home side when heading over from a dangerous free-kick after 81 minutes and Stoke were to be punished when Adebayor settled the tie for the visitors. The ball took a fortunate deflection to find Dempsey in the box and his cross was converted at the back post by the striker.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Clint Dempsey: A goal and an assist for the American, who for once outshone Bale in the trio behind the lone striker.

PLAYER RATINGS

STOKE: Begovic 6, Shotton 6, Shawcross 7, Huth 6, Wilson 5, Whitehead 5, Nzonzi 7, Adam 5, Etherington 5, Walters 6, Crouch 5. Subs: Jerome 6, Wilkinson 7, Cameron 6.

SPURS: Lloris 6, Walker 6, Dawson 7, Caulker 6, Vertonghen 8, Huddlestone 7, Parker 6, Lennon 5, Bale 6, Dempsey 8, Adebayor 8. Subs: Dembele 6, Defoe 6, Sigurdsson 6.

 

Read more »