No laughing matter for slapstick Toffees
Coleman hits 91st-minute winner... for Bournemouth
BOTH on and off the pitch, the Toffees look well and truly stuck. Sean Dyche’s side equalled their worst run of 12 Premier League games without a victory, but things look even bleaker off the field.
They lost after a 91st-minute own goal from stalwart Seamus Coleman and, given Dyche’s treatment of right backs, ‘playfully slapping’ Nathan Patterson on their trip to Portugal, Coleman may need to watch his back.
‘Obviously I’m frustrated and disappointed with the dying embers of the game. For such a simple moment we get confused and they get a goal out of nothing really,’ said Dyche, who insisted his team ought to have been given a penalty for a challenge on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
‘We should go away with a point of course but we can’t defend like that. We can’t rely on anyone but ourselves.’
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri this week reassured supporters that the protracted takeover by 777 Partners will still happen and will provide a bright future. Before then, the club must await the outcome of a second hearing after facing charges of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. They have already been deducted six points.
‘Without a shadow of a doubt (we can stay up),’ said a bullish Dyche. ‘The question marks over this club have been here for three years. I believe in the players and in myself.
‘The noise starts building quickly at a club like Everton and you’ve got to deal with the noise. The bombardment of social media and everything just keeps on coming. That’s part of what being a footballer is now.’ Further upheaval at seems unthinkable but given such an abject run, some fans will be questioning Dyche’s position. But Andoni Iraola is the toast of the Vitality with the Cherries on 38 points, their most in the Premier League at this stage of the season. ‘Obviously it’s a very good amount but we still have nine more chances. We still want to win. Now we are going to take the games one by one. For us it was a very important win,’ said Iraola.
Everton were under the cosh straight away, though the most dramatic moment of a tame first half came right at the end when Antoine Semenyo struck the base of the post, with Bournemouth then appealing for a penalty as Jarrad Branthwaite tangled with Tyler Adams in the build up. Before that, Calvert-Lewin had seen one shot blocked and another saved by Neto as his wait for a goal goes on.
There was more impetus to Bournemouth’s attack at the start of the second half, with Marcus Tavernier firing a fierce effort straight at Jordan Pickford before Coleman showed the pace of a man half his age to race across to deny Dominic Solanke.
Everton, too, were showing greater intensity and Dwight McNeil struck the near post as he attempted to cross. Moments later Dyche prowled the touchline furiously as James Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey allowed Solanke to drift in between them and head home.
Everton were showing little in response but Neto made a huge mess of catching McNeil’s cross and collided with Mepham, resulting in the ball dropping to Beto who slotted home.
One point would have been the most Everton deserved but Adam Smith swung in a deep cross which hit Coleman at the far post and went in.