BUT CLOUDY FORECAST FOR TERRIERS
CENK TOSUN and Idrissa Gueye scored in either half as Everton dumped Huddersfield into a relegation dogfight.
Turkey forward Tosun’s clinical finish gave the Toffees a half-time lead and Senegal midfielder Gueye blasted home the second with 13 minutes left.
It was a damaging defeat for Huddersfield, whose victory over Watford in their last match had given their survival hopes a big lift.
A seventh home loss of the season, though, coupled with wins for relegation rivals Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Brom, has left David Wagner’s side three points above the drop zone.
And their last three games are against champions Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Everton have now lost only one of their last seven games, winning four.
But their travelling fans made clear their displeasure at the continued presence of Sam Allardyce in their dugout.
The ex-England boss said there is nothing more he can do to win over the club’s fans.
Allardyce was not a popular appointment at Goodison Park when he replaced Ronald Koeman in November and has come under increasing pressure from fans.
Everton supporters unfurled a banner saying: “Our survey says get out of our club” before kick-off at the John Smith’s Stadium and went on to hurl abuse at him.
“I can’t honestly produce anymore than I’m doing,” said Allardyce, who has lifted the Toffees from 13th to eighth place in the Premier League.
“I’m sorry if some fans don’t like it, but we’re trying as hard as we possibly can, both myself, the staff and the players.”
The Terriers started brightly and Rajiv van La Parra’s appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Lee Probert after Nikola Vlasic’s challenge.
Van La Parra then fizzed a first-time shot from Alex Pritchard’s pinpoint cutback over the crossbar.
But against the run of play Everton broke free to snatch the lead six minutes before the interval. Theo Walcott slipped the ball out to Tosun on the right edge of the area and the forward shot across Jonas Lossl and into the bottom corner.
Denmark goalkeeper Lossl then denied Seamus Coleman with his feet as Everton looked to finish off the west Yorkshire side.
Town boss Wagner sent on Philip Billing and Scott Malone for Collin Quaner and Jonathan Hogg, while Wayne Rooney was hooked, replaced by Tom Davies.
Pritchard swung and missed at a free shot on goal from Van La Parra’s cutback as the Terriers chased an equaliser.
Wagner’s last throw of the dice was to send on striker Laurent Depoitre in place of Van La Parra, but Everton struck a second killer goal in the 77th minute.
Substitute Oumar Niasse’s cross was teed up by Baines on the edge of the area and Gueye fired an unstoppable right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
Still Huddersfield pressed but Ramiro Funes Mori blocked Depoitre’s goalbound shot and Cuco Martina was equally brave to thwart Malone in the closing moments.
“It was an excellent performance over the 90 minutes,” Allardyce added. “The players’ qualities in the end have shone through and our performance as the game went on got stronger and stronger.
“Our ability to cope with Huddersfield, and what they had to throw at us in terms of attacking was nullified by the quality of our defending.
“The way we took the two goals and the quality of our finishes were excellent and we really could have had more in the second half.”
Huddersfield boss Wagner admitted it had been a missed opportunity for his side and added: “When we all meet up again next week I will lift everybody and make us ready.
“We have worked for two-and-a-half years on doing the impossible.
“Now we have a week in front of us, a difficult task.
“But we know it is possible, especially for a team like us.”