Hotshot Dwight right on target
Burnley put injured Pickford on his knees
EVERTON’S wretched home form is threatening to wreck Carlo Ance lot ti’ s European dream, outplayed by an unexpectedly daring Burnley even before they lost Jordan Pickford to injury.
Outstanding goals in the opening 24 minutes from Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil earned Sean Dyche’s side only their second victory in 10 matches and gave them an important boost in their fight to stay in the top-flight.
They also hit the woodwork twice as Everton’s Goodison troubles continued. Ancelotti’s players have now lost seven times at home.
Dominic Calvert-Le win did reduce the arrears but a late onslaught never materialised.
Burnley No1 Nick Pope, who could be promoted by England with Pickford’s problems, made one fantastic stop low down to keep out Andre Gomes but after that was in command of his area.
Ancelotti said of his own keeper: ‘We don’t know how bad the injury is but he had the same problem in the past month when he was out for some games. He is going to have a scan on Monday.’
He could point to missing Gylfi Sigurdsson and James Rodriguez, and Tom Davies may have been fouled in the build-up to the opener, but Everton’s misery runs deeper.
Pickford already looked frazzled before he dived to try to reach a shot by Johan Gudmundsson and hurt his side in the process, eventually replaced after 43 minutes with 21-year-old Joao Virginia making his Premier League debut.
All the quality came from the visitors, defying their shot- shy reputation. If Wood’s goal was impressive, McNeil’ s was an absolute cracker as he turned Allan and rifled home from 25 yards.
A delighted Dyche, who dedicated the result to his brother-in-law who was buried last week, said: ‘It was a well-earned win. The willingness came from our press. Every time
we nicked it we looked a threat. It could have been more at half-time which I don’t say very often. They were top-drawer finishes for our goals. Woody’s was a great strike and Dwight has a lot of quality.’
McNeil looks to have an England future if he adds goals to his game. This was only his second of the season but a pearler.
‘I hadn’t scored like that in the Premier League but I do it in training and so the lads keep telling me to shoot more,’ he said.
Everton must have feared the worst after 14 minutes when Josh Brownhill was allowed to barge into Davies without sanction and McNeil broke down the left.
His cross cannoned off Michael Keane and fell to Wood who took one touch then guided it into the corner with Pickford static. The
Clarets felt they should have had a penalty when the ball struck Mason Holgate’s arm at a corner but they didn’t let any sense of injustice linger.
McNeil brilliantly created space from Matej Vydra’s pass and rifled his shot into the top left- hand corner. ‘ I was shouting him to switch it,’ admitted Dyche.
‘ He demands a lot of himself, sometimes too much. He was light and cheery when he came in after this one! He can only get better.’
It was nearly 3- 0 as Burnley continued as brightly as their yellow shirts. McNeil slipped in Gudmundsson who hit the post, with Pickford hurting himself in his attempted dive to the ball.
He temporarily struggled on and was still on the pitch when CalvertLewin powered a header from Alex
Iwobi’s cross after 32 minutes for only his third goal in 14 games, but that was as good as it got for the home side.
‘We have to get it sorted quickly,’ admitted Michael Keane of their home form.
FORMER Rangers and Everton manager Walter Smith is recovering in hospital after undergoing an operation. No further details have been released about the condition of the 73- year-old, who also managed Scotland.