A rampant Everton side were three goals up against a woeful
Newcastle United at half-time, before a change of shape and personnel inspired
a fight-back that almost rescued an unlikely point for the visitors at Goodison
Park last night.
Powerful striker Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring in only
the 5th minute after great work down the right from Belgian
international team-mate Kevin Mirallas.
The Magpies were defending as if they’d never played alongside
one another previously, with some particularly strange decision-making from
centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
Alan Pardew’s men were ripped apart midway through the first
period by a neat interchange between Lukaku and Ross Barkley, who dashed
through to finish smartly following an intelligent move that split the United
central defence wide open.
If things were looking bleak for the away team at that
stage, it got even worse eight minutes before the end of the half when a
hopeful long ball from Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard somehow found its way to
the ever-dangerous Lukaku; Yanga-Mbiwa inexplicably ran away from the forward
rather than challenging him, thus leaving Krul and Coloccini hopelessly
exposed. Lukaku gleefully accepted the generous offer of a free run at goal to
take the game seemingly beyond an awful Newcastle side.
Apart from a couple of fleeting glimpses of attacking threat
from Hatem Ben Arfa, there was very little for the travelling Toon Army to get
excited about. However, the home supporters were in utter delirium at what they
had witnessed, with chief protagonists Barkley and Lukaku looking capable of
conjuring scoring chances at will.
Toon boss Pardew must have been livid at his team’s listless
performance and he made two decisive substitutions in an effort to turn the
tide, bringing on Williamson for Yanga-Mbiwa and Cabaye for Ben Arfa, thus
pushing Sissoko out wide. Midfield man Cabaye had been a doubt prior to
kick-off due to a groin strain, but Pardew had evidently seen enough and made
the call to take a risk on the Frenchman.
The gamble paid off spectacularly six minutes into the new
half when Cabaye picked the ball up 25 yards out, strode confidently forward
before unleashing a missile of shot that was going into the net from the second
the ball left his foot. Newcastle looked remarkably compact in contrast to
their initial showing and were causing more than a few problems for the Everton
rearguard - finally a glimmer of hope amid the gloom.
It appeared that Everton were in danger of collapsing under
the pressure at times, as the black-and-whites worked tirelessly to drag
themselves back into contention in a match they seemed to have lost by the
halfway point.
Despite Loic Remy bundling his way through a challenge to
score with a minute remaining, their remarkable turnaround in form during the
second period was to no avail. Alas, no points were accrued, but at least some
pride was salvaged from the wreckage of the opening 45 minutes.
For Everton, their unbeaten start to the season under Roberto
Martinez continues thanks to a classy first-half display and specifically a
powerhouse performance from Romelu Lukaku; how Chelsea must rue letting him go
out on loan for the season in light of their ongoing issues in the striking
department.
Twitter: @davewh1980
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