American striker Joe-Max Moore grabbed his first goal in English soccer to
save Everton's proud unbeaten home league record.
Moore was brought on as a late substitute for Francis Jeffers with nine
minutes to go as manager Walter Smith's last throw of the dice.
But in injury-time the 28 year-old international, who last saw serious action
with New England Revolution, slammed home the equaliser to deny Spurs.
The Everton faithful had booed as Jeffers was hauled off, and the teenage star
turned to punch the air and wave to his fans on the Gwladys Street end.
It was not long before it was Moore, who had played in one full game and made
three appearances as a late substitute, who was leaping and punching the air as
he marked his goalscoring arrival in the Premiership.
He could have been off with the USA side soon in preparation for the Gold Cup
in the States, but they have decided Moore's game would benefit from staying
with Everton and learning his trade at a higher level.
His signing was a gamble by Smith, on the advice of Richard Gough who has
played against Moore in the States, but it appears to have paid off.
Everton were slipping to their first home defeat and Spurs will no doubt claim
they had done enough and deserved the win.
But these days Everton don't give up in so easily and after relentless
pressure, they got their reward.
From the start, Everton imposed themselves on the game, Spurs not having an on
target shot until their 24th-minute equaliser.
Before then Everton had created and wasted a string of chances. It was a
period of dominance that once gone they found mighty difficult to re-create.
That was because the visiting side, who may not be the prettiest but mix the
flair of David Ginola with muscle and effort of Tim Sherwood and Steffen Iversen,
while Chris Perry and Sol Campbell stick doggedly to their task at the back.
That proved appropriate after a dog twice invaded the pitch in the first half
and scampered around the high amusement of the Goodison faithful.
With England boss Kevin Keegan there to watch the likes of Nick Barmby and
Jeffers, Everton flowed forward with great menace early on.
After a minute, Jeffers headed narrowly wide from David Weir's cross, and then
within seconds Don Hutchison lashed over a low cross that Kevin Campbell and
Mark Pembridge missed by inches in the six-yard box.
Jeffers wasted another chance when put clear by David Watson before they
finally took the lead with a real cracker after 23 minutes.
The slick passing of Barmby, Jeffers and Hutchison carved a hole down the
right, and Hutchison's first-time cross was superbly powered home by Campbell
with a thunderous header on the run.
Everton, though, were caught cold straight from the re-start. They gave away a
free-kick just outside their box, whipped into the area by Sherwood for Sol
Campbell to head against the post and Chris Armstrong to force home the ball on
the line.
Everton, from being masterful and creative became tentative in an instant, and
George Graham side's do not waste that sort of opportunity.
They pressed, probed and were ahead after 29 minutes. Ginola, way out on the
right, sent in a cross that struck Watson and ballooned wickedly high into the
air before dropping over Paul Gerrard into the net.
Spurs could easily have had a third a minute before the break when Sherwood's
pass set up Iversen, with Gerrard having to dive bravely at his feet.
Not surprisingly, Spurs dug-in after the break. Justin Edinburgh, Sherwood and
Stephen Clemence - plus Hutchison and Watson - were all booked in a fractious 15
minute-spell.
George Graham dragged off Ginola as the studs began to fly and put on Allan
Nielsen to add even more of a competitive edge. It took Nielsen just eight
minutes to get his name in the book.
Everton could not find their old spark and after an impressive start, Jeffers
had lost his way against Campbell and Perry, but cannot have enjoyed being
substituted with nine minutes left under Keegan's gaze.
However, in the first of four injury-time minutes, the substition worked.
Mark Pembridge hurled a long throw into the box, it dropped inside the six-yard
box and everybody froze - except Moore.
He spun to lash the ball high into the net and Everton's home record was
safe.
Teams
Everton: Gerrard, Unsworth (Ball 81), Watson, Dunne, Weir,
Pembridge, Hutchison, Collins, Barmby, Jeffers (Moore 82),
Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Ward, Gemmill, Simonsen.
Booked: Barmby, Hutchison, Watson.
Goals: Campbell 22, Moore 90.
Tottenham: Walker, Edinburgh (Young 81), Perry, Campbell, Carr,
Ginola (Nielsen 68), Clemence, Sherwood, Anderton, Armstrong,
Iversen.
Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Korsten, Fox.
Booked: Edinburgh, Sherwood, Clemence, Nielsen.
Goals: Armstrong 24, Ginola 28.
Att: 36,144
Ref: A Wiley (Walsall).
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