Everton slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season as relegation looms.
Aston Villa were too quick, too well organised, and just miles better
asEverton were sent reeling by a three-goal second-half barrage.
At the end of the match, furious Everton fans hurled abuse at chairman Peter
Johnson, who is being blamed for not allowing boss Howard Kendall to spend big
before the transfer deadline.
Everton were hit before the kick-off when skipper Duncan Ferguson failed a
late fitness test on a knee injury, and they went downhill from then on.
Ferguson, available again after a three-match suspension, was desperately
needed to add power and strength to Everton's attack, but the job was left to
workaholic John Spencer, and the fitful, flashy Mickael Madar.
It was never enough to ruffle England man Gareth Southgate and defensive
colleague Ugo Ehiogu.
Everton were also without suspended duo Carl Tiler and Slaven Bilic. Aston
Villa were without injury victim Stan Collymore, while Savo Milosevic was also
suspended.
It meant Everton were forced into an unusual flat back four because of their
absentees, and Dave Watson and Craig Short had all sorts of trouble against the
pace of Julian Joachim and Dwight Yorke.
The danger signs were clear, and after 11 minutes Villa scored a fine goal.
Joachim ran across the face of Everton's defence and found Gary Charles out on
the right. His pinpoint cross was met by Joachim, who had continued his run into
the box, and the striker's header bulleted past Thomas Myhre from eight yards.
Everton hit back with a fierce 20-yard Farrelly free kick that Bosnich pushed
up and caught as it dropped in the six-yard box.
Then Madar ran from deep, a found space on the edge of the box for a
lowleft-footer that flashed inches wide.
The importance of the match to both sides, one on the fringe of the relegation
battle and the other slap bang in the middle, produced six bookings.
Mark Draper was lucky to escape without a caution for a late high tackle on
Don Hutchison that left the Everton man reeling. Referee Neale Barry dished out
a severe warning.
Ehiogu was booked for a crude tackle on Michael Ball after 26 minutes, and
from another free-kick a minute later, Barmby fired the ball into the box -
Bosnich missed it - and Madar nodded wide of an empty net.
The tension continued to produce confrontations, and after 29 minutes Draper
caught Barmby late, and the Everton man reacted with a angry shove which
resulted in a nasty melee of players pushing and arguing. Referee Barry booked
both players.
Villa continued to look a real danger to Everton's plodding defence,
andproduced another excellent move involving Lee Hendrie and Joachim after 35
minutes, the string of passes ended with Charles' vicious low cross being hacked
over his own bar by a desperate Short.
You feared for Everton at this point, so much were they second best. Butafter
37 minutes they were level. Barmby found Spencer some 30 yards out, and the
Scottish striker fired in a low shot that Madar deflected wide of Bosnich. The
Frenchman knew little about it, but was off on a mazy run of celebration!
So Everton went in at the break level, but the difference in the level of
ability and tactics suggested that their equality wouldn't last for long.
After 62 minutes Villa were ahead again, to nobody's surprise. John Oster gave
the ball away in midfield, and Joachim and Ian Taylor took control and found
Alan Wright out on the left.
Everton were all over the place, and when the cross speared into the box,
Charles was arriving unmarked in the box to crack home a fine low drive.
Peter Beagrie, brought back to the club on loan in midweek, took over from
Oster soon after, but his only impact on the game was a booking after
79minutes.
Short had also been booked earlier for a tackle from behind on Joachim, and
Hendrie completed the six-pack of cautions late in the game.
It didn't take long, though, for Villa to go further ahead. After 70 minutes
Short's tackle sent Joachim spinning in the box, and although the linesman gave
a corner, referee Barry was adamant that it was a penalty even after consulting
his colleague.
Joachim stepped up to hammer the spot kick past Myhre, and the roof wasreally
falling in on Everton.
Nine minutes from time Yorke really rubbed it in when he raced onto a Hendrie
pass, took the ball round Myhre as he rushed out of his box, and cooly slipped
the ball into the empty net.
The final whistle was greeted with a chorus of abuse aimed at the Everton
directors' box, and the results from around the country did nothing for the good
humour of the Goodison Park faithful.
Teams:
Everton: Myhre, Short (Dunne 83), Watson, Ball, O'Kane,
Hutchison, Farrelly (Cadamarteri 74), Oster (Beagrie 67), Barmby,
Spencer, Madar.
Subs Not Used: Gerrard, McCann.
Booked: Barmby, Short, Beagrie.
Goals: Madar 38.
Aston Villa: Bosnich, Charles, Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu,
Draper, Taylor, Yorke, Joachim (Byfield 88), Wright,
Hendrie (Grayson 85).
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Nelson, Collins.
Booked: Ehiogu, Draper, Hendrie.
Goals: Joachim 12, Charles 62, Yorke 72 pen, 81.
Att: 36,471
Ref: N S Barry (Scunthorpe).
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