Everton fans must believe they are experiencing a terrible, recurring
nightmare.
Another painful, goalless display at Goodison Park suggests nothing will
change for the frustrated Merseyside fans in 1999.
Everton have now served up a staggering seven goalless draws in 11 home league
games this season. When the fourth official holds up his board to announce four
extra minutes, and is met by a collective groan from 32,000-plus fans, you know
there are problems.
Statisticians have had to look back over 120 years to find a season when
Everton have found scoring as hard. They have still only managed three in home
league games this term.
Leicester, not renowned for scoring away either, were more than happy with the
point, and could even have snatched victory at the death.
But Everton had to thank a masterful display by Norwegian goalkeeper Thomas
Myhre to maintain their grip on a point. He produced wonderful saves in both
halves and fully deserved his ovation as he left the field.
Leicester's keeper Kasey Keller was almost as good. The one thing you don't
need when when goals are in short supply is two goalkeepers playing blinders.
Everton brought in Welsh winger John Oster for only his seventh game of the
season and just his second start after spending months frozen out by Walter
Smith.
Ex-Everton star Tony Cottee, just two goals short of 200 league strikes in his
career, got a great reception from his old fans, but there was precious little
even he could do to give this game any sort of cutting edge.
Oster attempted to take his chance of a Premiership game with some clever runs
and crosses, but top scorer Ibrahima Bakayoko is so much of an individual, head
down, go it alone striker, there's rarely integrated play from Everton's front
men.
It was the two keepers who shone, with Everton's Norwegian Myhre producing two
excellent first half saves. The first came after 26 minutes when Cottee found
Emile Heskey with an astute pass.
The big England Under-21 striker held off David Unsworth and turned in the box
to fire in a low shot that Myhre saved brilliantly to his right.
Twice Cottee worked himself into good positions. First he was furious when it
looked like Olivier Dacourt had held his shirt, and then when Heskey set him up,
the little striker was crowded out.
Then Keller managed an equally breathtaking save after 34 minutes. Bakayoko
found Danny Cadamarteri darting into the box, and when the teenager was forced
wide, Oster fired in a first-time cross that Bakayoko met just eight yards out
with a ferocious volley. Somehow Keller hurled himself across his goal-line to
beat out the effort, to the Ivory Coast striker's obvious amazement.
Then it was Myhre's turn again at the other end. After 42 minutes Heskey got
away on the right, turned to fire in a low cross that was met by the diving
Cottee, only for Myhre to again make a superb save.
The second half saw Keller conjure another stunning save. Bakayoko sent Don
Hutchison down the left, and the centre gave Cadamarteri a great chance from 12
yards. But the American hurled himself to his left to pluck down the shot.
Leicester tried to move up a gear, and Heskey looked to be tripped in the box
by Unsworth, but referee Paul Durkin didn't react and the big striker suffered
abuse from then on from home fans, clearly believing he had dived.
Cadamarteri, who had wasted a great chance when he was put through by Oster
pass, was replaced with 15 minutes to go by Nicky Barmby, but the pattern of
play was firmly established by then with Matt Elliott and Steve Walsh in firm
control at the back.
Leicester had looked the more likely to break the deadlock, but the afternoon
was summed up with five minutes to go.
Myhre made his only error of the game when he rushed out of his box to kick
away under pressure from Cottee. The ball spun to Heskey some 20 yards out and
he planted his shot wide of a gaping goal.
In injury time Myhre redeemed himself with a blinding flying save to keep out
an Elliott free-kick - at least Everton don't concede too many these days.
Teams
Everton: Myhre, Cleland, Dunne, Watson, Unsworth, Ball,
Hutchison, Dacourt, Oster, Cadamarteri (Barmby 75), Bakayoko.
Subs Not Used: Grant, Branch, Ward, Simonsen.
Booked: Dacourt.
Leicester: Keller, Sinclair, Elliott, Walsh, Ullathorne, Izzet,
Lennon, Impey, Guppy, Heskey, Cottee.
Subs Not Used: Taggart, Campbell, Zagorakis, Marshall, Arphexad.
Booked: Sinclair.
Att: 32,792
Ref: P Durkin (Portland).
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