VILLA CASH IN ON RAFA’S WOE
MATTY CASH spectacularly blasted his first goal forvilla – sparking a secondhalf super-show as Rafa Benitez’s makeshift men were blown away. The defender crashed home after the break to spark a collapse as Dean Smith’s men scored three goals in nine minutes.
It was Cash who set the ball rolling as he drifted into the area, racing behind Lucas Digne and then drilling a left-foot shot high into the net.
The £16million signing last year from Nottingham Forest marked his goal not by jumping into the jubilant Holte End just a few yards away, but instead charging 70 yards back into his own half before gesturing to his friends and family in the Trinity Road stand.
That strike from an unexpected source opened the floodgates for Smith’s side who seized the moment and the three points.
Within three minutes they had added another as sub Leon Bailey’s right-wing corner was glanced into his own net by Toffees skipper Lucas Digne.
And then Jamaican international Bailey came up with a mouthwatering goal of his own to wrap up matters with 15 minutes to go.
Danny Ings superbly spread the play and the exciting winger, signed this summer for £25m from Bayer Leverkusen, set himself before lashing the third past Asmir Begovic.
It was high-octane stuff that delightedvilla Park as Everton, who huffed and puffed throughout long stages, wilted in the onslaught.
The visitors have enjoyed a promising start to the campaign under Benitez and the Spaniard did his best to come away with something. In the end, he fielded a patchwork quilt of a side as his plans were thrown into disarray just 24 hours prior to kick-off.
Already without Richarlison whose knee was damaged by James Tarkowski’s challenge during Monday’s victory over Burnley, Benitez had to come up with Plan B, C and D.
First, Seamus Coleman was ruled out with an unspecified problem in training on Friday while
Jordan Pickford was absent due to a shoulder problem.
With Dominic Calvert-lewin still nursing a broken toe, the Toffees chief had to call upon Salomon Rondon up front.