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Sunday 13 May 2012

Everton end season as unofficial champions

Everton 3 (Pienaar 16, Jelavic 27, Heitinga) Newcastle United 1 (Hibbert og 73)


Newcastle's Champions League dream evaporated as Everton finished the season in style at Goodison Park.
Steven Pienaar opened the scoring from 20 yards with a shot which deflected off Newcastle defender Mike Williamson.
Nikica Jelavic doubled the lead at the second attempt after being denied by Tim Krul before Johnny Heitinga headed the third.
Everton, who had Tim Cahill sent off after the final whistle, were better despite Tony Hibbert's late own goal.
Substitute Cahill was dismissed after appearing to grab Yohan Cabaye by the neck.
Newcastle have enthralled and amazed in equal measures this season, but this was one game too many for Alan Pardew's side.
They deserve huge credit for staying in Champions League contention to the last game yet Newcastle end the season with three defeats in four games.
In contrast, Everton closed the campaign on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run in the league which allowed them to finish above Liverpool in the table for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign.
There were times during the game when David Moyes's side played as though it was their first, not last, match of the season, so delightful was their play.
They never looked back once Pienaar opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a 20-yard attempt, following Marouane Fellaini's run, which deflected off Mike Williamson.
Pienaar, who is due to return to Tottenham after four months on loan at Goodison, was playing as though he had a point to prove.
The South African was denied a second goal by the foot of Newcastle keeper Tim Krul after Leon Osman had whipped the ball across the six-yard area.
Yet Everton were celebrating a deserved second goal after 27 minutes.
Jelavic was presented with the Premier League's Player of the Month award for April before the game and the Croatian demonstrated why he is one of the bargain buys of the season with another excellent finish.
The £5.5m signing from Rangers left Fabricio Coloccini trailing in his wake before Krul kept out his first attempt with a stunning save only for Jelavic to readjust himself and bury the ball in the back of the net.
Newcastle were a shadow of the side that had recently secured six straight Premier League wins.
Papiss Cisse went close on the stroke of half time while the Senegal striker was denied his 14th league goal since arriving from Freiburg in January when Tim Howard clawed away his effort.
Everton underlined their superiority when Heitinga made it 3-0 with a close range header following Darron Gibson's 65th minute cross.
Newcastle did find the net after Hibbert inadvertently headed past Howard following Ryan Taylor's long punt forward in the 73rd minute.
But the drama was far from over.
After Osman had hit the post in the dying moments, Cahill was shown a red card after the final whistle after raising his arm at Cabaye and had to be dragged away by his team-mates.

Sunday 6 May 2012

Defiant Wolves draw with Toffeemen

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Everton 0


Wolves avoided equalling a Premier League record of 10 straight home defeats with a scrappy draw.
Everton controlled the opening period, with Nikica Jelavic having an effort controversially ruled out for offside and Steven Pienaar also threatening.
The hosts improved after the interval but Everton still looked more dangerous with Jelavic dragging wide with their best opportunity.
But relegated Wolves earned a first home point since 4 December.
A fortnight after their demotion was confirmed with a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City, Terry Connor's team finished their final home game with the kind of defiance that has been absent for most of the season.
With Connor facing an uncertain future and several key players, including Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis sure to attract interest from elsewhere, it will be a significant summer for the club. They finish their campaign with a trip to Wigan next Sunday.
Everton manager David Moyes will be frustrated that his team could not translate their dominance into a victory as they extended their unbeaten run to eight games.
Moyes is also facing a pivotal few weeks and the Scot will meet chairman Bill Kenwright to discuss his future after the Blues finish the campaign at home to Newcastle.
Although they could not find a finish - a surprise given they had scored 13 goals in their previous four league games - it was the only thing missing from yet another impressive Everton performance.
Pienaar underlined why Moyes is so keen to keep him when his loan spell from Tottenham expires and James McFadden, whose contract expires this summer, also added creativity in the wide areas in only his second Premier League start of the season.
Leon Osman felt he should have been awarded a penalty after going down under Michael Kightly's challenge after Jelavic and McFadden went close.
The visitors felt hard done by once again when Pienaar guided a pass through for Jelavic, who produced a neat finish only to be called back for offside despite replays showing the Croatian appeared to be level with Ronald Zubar.
Wolves only really threatened from set-plays, with Stephen Hunt lifting a shot over and Fletcher thumping high and wide.
After the break Fellaini planted a header over from six yards after being picked out by Tony Hibbert's cross at the other end.
Wolves keeper Dorus de Vries was at full stretch to push away Jelavic's well-struck free-kick and, as the game degenerated, David Edwards missed with a header from a cross from Kightly, who scuffed wide shortly afterwards.
Jelavic was wasteful once again when he dragged wide after racing clear on to Fellaini's long header and substitute Denis Stracqualursi had another effort ruled out for offside as both teams had to settle for a point.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Brittania draw see Everton keep title

Stoke City 1 (Jerome 68) Everton 1 (Crouch 44og)

Cameron Jerome came off the bench to earn Stoke a point against Everton at the Britannia Stadium.
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch's own goal put David Moyes's side in front just before half-time.
Other than Rory Delap's long throws, Stoke struggled to create decent chances until Jerome was brought on as part of a treble substitution midway through the second period.
Moments later the striker burst clear to finish from just inside the area.
It was the third time Jerome, who joined in a £4m deal from relegated Birmingham last summer, has come off the bench to score this season and he has only managed one other league goal.
Having made just six Premier League starts since his move to Stoke, Jerome, 25, recently expressed his frustration at being used as a substitute. 
The former Cardiff man will hope his latest contribution can help push him past Tony Pulis' established partnership of Crouch and Jonathan Walters.
Although Pulis will be grateful for Jerome's impact, Stoke are still limping through the final weeks of the season and now have just one win in their last nine matches.
Everton can at least be content with moving a further point clear of Liverpool after extending their winless run to seven games in this forgettable tussle.
In announcing Delap's new one-year contract before kick-off,  manager Pulis had claimed his veteran midfielder offers much more than just his famed long throw.
Other than a Matthew Etherington effort that flew over from just outside the area, Delap was the source of all of Stoke's first-half opportunities, with Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross and Kenwyne Jones all failing to make the most of opportunities from the former Republic of Ireland international.
Everton lost Victor Anichebe, who had a penalty appeal turned down after a Huth challenge, to injury but his replacement Magaye Gueye immediately gave them plenty of thrust down the left.
The French youngster's cross was seen late by Nikica Jelavic and the Croatian could only send an improvised effort over the bar with his knee.
But the visitors took the lead just before the interval when Tony Hibbert's cross hit Marc Wilson and glanced in off Crouch's back.
Everton continued to soak up Stoke's direct attacks and Jelavic, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman combined for the latter to slice wide from a good position.
Pulis attempted to spark his team with a treble substitution and, within moments, it made a difference.
Jerome charged on to a loose ball near the halfway line and neither Phil Jagielka or John Heitinga made a challenge before the striker produced a calm finish.
The Potters striker also lifted a header over the bar from a ball shortly after before Huth had a free-kick deflected straight to Tim Howard.