Saturday, February 7, 2009

Everton 3 - 0 Bolton Wanderers


Brazilian misfit Jo enjoyed a perfect day after a season of misery as Everton beat Bolton 3-0.

Manchester City's £19million signing has failed to impress at Eastlands, culminating in his deadline day move to Everton.

City boss Mark Hughes may well watch this performance by the gangling striker and blink in disbelief - he won a first-half penalty, slotted home by Mikel Arteta, before scoring a wonderful goal three minutes after the break.

Then in injury-time he was given the chance to wrap home his second from the spot as Everton rounded off a great week which has also seen them knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup,

Everton have now reached the 40-point mark, losing just three of their last 20 games, while this success enabled them to complete a league double over Bolton for the second season in succession.

The reward for teenager Dan Gosling, fresh from his goalscoring heroics in midweek, was only his second appearance in an Everton starting line-up.

The hosts were without Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar, who picked up muscle injuries in Wednesday's fourth round replay - giving Jo his debut.

Bolton made just one change from the side that beat Tottenham last time out, Andy O'Brien coming in for the injured Ricardo Gardner.

Everton dominated the first half and should have been ahead after just three minutes when Tim Cahill missed from barely two yards out.

Leon Osman put Leighton Baines away down the left, and when the cross arrowed into the box, Cahill arrived at full pace to flick a shot wide of the far post.

From then on Everton moved comfortably forward, creating chances against a Bolton side who were a unrecognisable from the side who pride themselves on a battling work ethic.

Bolton were under steady early pressure and only a timely intervention from Sebastien Puygrenier in the six-yard box stopped Jo getting on the end of a Cahill touch.

Gary Cahill deflected a Joleon Lescott hook over the bar from a corner, then Jo hooked over after a Gosling cross reached him in the box.

Fabrice Muamba fired over from 20 yards in the 21st minute and a minute later Jo ran onto a Tim Cahill header and fire wide of Jussi Jaaskelainen's right-hand post.

Everton continued to be wasteful when Arteta's clever pass in the box set up Lescott, but his 12-yard effort fizzed over the angle.

Arteta tried himself, but his effort from the edge of the box was saved by Jaaskelainen.

But after 40 minutes Everton were deservedly in front, after Jo was tripped by Gretar Steinsson in the box as he moved past the Icelandic defender. Arteta coolly fired home the penalty.

Phil Jagielka then saw a header clip the bar from a corner by the influential Arteta, before Leon Osman saw a fierce, low drive deflected wide by Gary Cahill's brave challenge.

Three minutes into the second half Everton doubled their lead when Phil Neville's long punt to the edge of the box was superbly taken down by Jo. The Brazilian turned a hapless Gary Cahill with the move, before firing home.

After just one league goal with City this term, the tall Brazilian had every reason to produce a samba-jig of delight.

Gosling went close with a header before the youngster produced a telling right-wing cross for Jo to test Jaaskelainen with a firm, downward header.

On the hour poor, spiritless Bolton sent on Ebi Smolarek and Chris Basham for Muamba and Puygrenier.

Mark Davies was booked for a foul on Arteta before Gosling tested Jaaskelainen again from the edge of the box.

Bolton produced some life with shots from Ariza Makukula and Matt Taylor, but by now it was a token gesture.

Such was their dominance, Everton were able to take off Tim Cahill with 14 minutes left and send on their other bright young prospect, Jack Rodwell.

Joseph Yobo and Andy van der Meyde took over from Baines and Arteta in the closing minutes, with the visitors introducing Mustapha Riga for Makukula.

Tony Hibbert was booked with two minutes left for a foul on Mark Davies, who was adjudged to have handled a Gosling cross in injury-time.

It enabled Jo to convert a penalty which gave him the perfect end to his day and Everton's week.

Megson sips into Trotters
Everton loan signing Jo grabbed the praise while Bolton boss Gary Megson launched a scathing attack on his players after their 3-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
Jo, loaned out by Manchester City after a miserable time at Eastlands following his £19million signing, scored twice and won a penalty as Everton cruised to victory.

For Megson there was only bitter condemnation of his out-of-sorts team.

He said: "That was a complete waste of 90 minutes for us, by people being paid a week's wages. I was disappointed with the first half and the feelings were a lot stronger by the end.

"We were just shocking. Sometimes you try to cover things, but sometimes you can't defend the indefensible.

"We want to win every game, but if you are going to lose you do it in the right manner and go down fighting. We were just not good enough and there were no positives for us.

"They had two penalties, one that I felt was outside the box. But if you start using that as an excuse it would be wrong. You cannot play like that in the Premier League and get away with it.

"It was virtually the same team that beat Spurs, but that was as bad as anything I have seen since I came to Bolton.

"If you lose and give it everything, if you compete and go down fighting, OK, that's acceptable.

"Since I have been at Bolton I could never say that we have not given everything, but I can't say that after a performance like that.

"We will try and sort it out next week. It was an apology for a game. We were second best in every department, and we were outrun by the opposition. Opposition that had played for two hours in a cup replay on Wednesday.

"There is nothing I could flag up as a reason for that. Players are paid for 38 league games a season and that was one game we just didn't perform in.

"If we continue to play like that we will be relegated, without a shadow of a doubt. It was unacceptable.''

Everton boss David Moyes was delighted with his side, now comfortably established in the top six, and the performance of Jo.

Moyes said: "I was disappointed not to be 3-0 up at the break, we played really good football, passed the ball well and created plenty of opportunities.

"But in the end we got our reward and it was an excellent performance all round.

"Jo helped us a lot. I was really pleased with him. He gained us the first penalty, scored a fine goal and then put away a penalty himself.

"He had other chances and was unlucky not to score a hat-trick. He needs to regain his confidence, and in all honesty I did not want to put him in the team so quickly.

"But with all the injuries we have got, we did not have much choice. I wanted to ease him in, but that performance will give him a real boost.

"He can be vital for us now. He will get goals. If he can get us 10 now before the end of the season it will be a big boost along the road to what we want to achieve.''

He added: "I was surprised with what I saw from Jo. Mainly because I have not seen that sort of form from him while he has been at Manchester City.

"But I had certainly seen that sort of form from him when he was at CSKA Moscow when we were looking at him then.

"I felt City had signed a really top player and I have been surprised by what has happened to him there.

"Our lads helped him a lot, they want to make him feel a part of things here because they know if they do he will score a lot of goals for us.

"When he arrived in England, the fee was too big for us but I always felt he would have been a good signing for Everton had we been able to afford him.''


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