TEN-MAN EVERTON SHOCK SPURS Saturday, August 26, 2006
Tim Howard earned his first shutout in Everton colors as the 10-man Toffees earned their first away win over Tottenham Hotspur in 21 years.
Tottenham barely challenged Howard as Everton overcame a first half ejection to expel past demons at White Hart Lane to win 2-0 thanks to a Calum Davenport own goal and security from new signing Andy Johnson on a counterattack.
Saturday marked the 21st anniversary of the last Everton win at White Hart Lane, but it seems that the Toffees that showed up today were never told the normal game plan when visiting Spurs.
Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged the difficulty of the game following the match, saying, "Coming to Tottenham in the past has been difficult for Everton and we know that everyone has been thinking that Tottenham could be one of the teams that might break into the top four."
While his counterpart Martin Jol made no changes to his squad that beat Sheffield United Tuesday 2-0, Moyes made one change, playing in his 300th league appearance Tim Cahill instead of James Beattie to create a five-man midfield in an attempt to slow down Tottenham, especially Aaron Lennon on the right flank.
Spurs were the first team to make an incisive, albeit weak, play into the penalty area in the second minute with Robbie Keane looking for new signing Dimitar Berbatov making a near post run. Joseph Yobo saw the play developing, though, and neatly intercepted to lead a charge the other way.
The Everton counterattack led to Kevin Kilbane attempting to cross into the lone, diminutive, striker Johnson in front of goal only to be shadowed by towering centerback Michael Dawson who had no problem clearing the danger over the former Crystal Palace man's head.
A minute later the Toffees created another chance when Mikel Arteta presented a through ball from the right into the path of Leon Osman to wind up for a 20 yard shot that dragged along the ground left of the goal.
Neither side was able to break through the midfield to create quality chances, forcing Benoit Assou-Ekkotto in the 13th minute to bypass the midfield, playing from Spurs defensive end to Keane in the box, but the touch of the Irishman failed allowing an Osman clearance.
Howard began to feel some pressure when Gary Naysmith misplayed a back pass too slow five minutes later allowing the opportunistic Lennon to give chase, but the American was able to narrowly beat the tiny Englishman and play safely.
Now in the 19th minute, Lennon continued to be a threat up the right side playing a one-two into the penalty area with Young-Pyo Lee, but debutant Joleon Lescott anticipated the second pass to halt the Spurs advance and press Everton into the attack.
A minute later the Toffees had a corner kick on the right side that was flicked on by Kilbane to the far side, but Berbatov was able to tussle past Lescott and send through to Lennon for a quick counter. However, Lee Carsley played his holding role perfectly and stopped the speedster in his tracks.
Tottenham almost went up 1-0 thanks a Naysmith attempted clearance over Howard's goal, but luckily for the American keeper captain Phil Neville reacted quickly to push all the way over the goal post.
Service to Johnson continued to be inadequate, in the 27th minute Kilbane sent another cross into the lone striker, but his marker Dawson had not shrunk since the start of the game and the Tottenham defense was having little problems deflecting the Everton attack.
On the other side, Spurs' height advantage nearly paid off a minute later through a right side free kick taken by Keane to the rising head of Davenport easily above the mass of bodies below him. Finishing failed the defender, though, and his shot went harmlessly over the bar.
With neither side seeming to give way in the 31st minute Everton was dealt a tremendous blow. Kilbane was whistled by Mark Halsey for a tackle from behind on Lee that forced the referee to pull out a second yellow card on the left winger, the first having come after a similar foul earlier in the contest.
Playing with the wind knocked out of them, the Toffees nearly sneaked in a go ahead goal in the 37th minute when Paul Robinson let a cross from the left by Arteta go past him. Lescott had snuck in behind and tried to head behind the England number one, but the angle proved too narrow.
Tottenham regained control of the game and two minutes later, Teemu Tainio set up Jermaine Jenas for a shot at the top of the penalty arc that just spun along the ground wide left of the mark.
To close out the half Tainio delivered another ball square to Edgar Davids for a 30-yard attempt forcing Howard to make a diving attempt to save, but the Dutchman's shot was never on target and the two sides went into the tunnel even without a shot on goal.
The most notable effort for Everton was that of Naysmith shutting down Lennon, which after the match the Moyes acknowledged, "I think that Gary Naysmith has played Aaron Lennon better than almost anyone I have seen play Aaron Lennon in a long, long time."
From the start of the second half Spurs continued to press Naysmith with Lennon, in one instance earning a corner kick that found Dawson above the Everton defense, but like his defensive partner, the resulting header cleared the crossbar.
Moyes however was not willing to let his Toffees sit back and wait for Tottenham to come to them and through the start of the half Everton were looking the more dangerous side, in the 52nd minute earning a free kick near the right corner.
Arteta delivered to Lescott alone in the air who headed down and away from the goal, but luckily Davenport was falling backwards and mistakenly knocked the misplayed header into the back of the net.
With their backs to the wall Tottenham tried to punch right back. Assou-Ekotto crossed to Berbatov in front of goal, but the header from the Bulgarian went softly into expectant hands of Howard.
The head of Berbatov continued to be the fulcrum of Spurs attack in the 55th minute leading Keane to run onto the flick-on, only needing to beat Lescott, but the young defender was able to direct the play to Howard for an easy clearance.
In the 59th minute, Jol chose to switch to a three-man attacking line bringing in Jermain Defoe for the Korean defender Lee.
The new formation led to heavy pressure from Spurs on Everton's defensive line that continued to hold. Tottenham was forced to constantly switch fields trying to stretch the Toffee defense eventually finding an opening in the 64th minute but Jenas misplayed a ball into the goal area nullifying the attacking effort.
All the Spurs pressure meant openings for Everton on the counterattack. A minute later Osman led Neville up the right flank whose quick cross curled around the sluggish Tottenham defense where Johnson finally had his day sliding in to beat Robinson to his left.
Now the tables had turned and suddenly Tottenham became even more desperate, but with a two-goal lead Moyes felt it was time to defend their lead and the Toffees played impregnable nine-men behind the ball.
Spurs still had their chances and in the 75th minute Davenport headed a Keane corner kick back across the mouth of goal from the far post, but no white shirts were waiting to capitalize on the near post.
Three minutes later Lescott fouled Keane a dime away from a penalty, but the Defoe free kick drove straight along the ground into the Everton wall.
With two minutes left in the game Lennon is finally able to break down Naysmith for a clean cross, but Dawson at the far post did not go to ground to slide in the goal.
It was not until extra time that Spurs even challenged Howard with a Berbatov header to the right bottom corner, but the American's concentration had not waned over the game and he was more than equal to the attempt.
After the game Moyes was jubilant over his team's performance, "It was as close to good as I suppose you could probably get. With 10 men we passed the ball well, we kept it, we made it very difficult for Tottenham."
Up next, Everton will hope to keep their current good form when they meet city rivals Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby in two weeks.
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