A final email from Justin Kavanagh
“Clearly West Ham need to sign a holding midfielder. They’re in Liverpool tonight. And Big Sam is the patron saint of resurrecting careers that look to be headed for the knackers’ yard. I’m just saying …”
Full-time: Everton 1-1 West Ham
Well, that was a dramatic finish. Everton looked for all the world like they were going out. Passes weren’t coming off and they were being bullied around. But then Oviedo, who came into the game in the final 10 minutes, found the man who loves to score against West Ham – and Lukaku forced a replay. Thanks for your emails and tweets. Keep breaking those resolutions. I’m off. Good night.
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90+3 min: Everton push forwards backed by a guttural roar from the home fans. Lukaku nips into the box after evading his marker and wins a corner. The corner is mishit and bobbles into the box. Collins clears and peep! That’s your lot.
Goal! Everton 1-1 West Ham (Lukaku 90)
Everton are having a go all right. Oviedo picks the ball up again on the left wing after two West Ham players make a meal of tackling McGeady and let the ball roll away to the Costa Rican. He sets himself and drives in a low cross that skids across the six-yard box to Lukaku who, unmarked, takes a touch and slams home.
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88 min: Coleman heads over at the back-post. Barry did well to win the ball back in the West Ham box and play a pass out to Oviedo. He curled the ball in but Coleman was stretching and couldn’t get over it. Everton are having a go …
87 min: Cole has been booked. Late tackle. That’ll eat into another minute.
85 min: McGeady floats a ball to the back-post, where Oviedo sets himself for a volley at goal, but he slices his effort hopelessly wide (20 yards, that’s how hopeless). Everton are heading out here.
84 min: Besic off. Stepover’s Aiden McGeady on.
83 min: Barkley robs the cumbersome Nolan of possession in midfield and drives forwards. He gets a slice of fortune as he tries to dribble into the box and benefits from a deflection back to his feet. He then thinks ‘ sod it’ and has a shy at goal from 15 yards, but the angle is always against him and Adrian saves at the near-post. The corner is hit towards Jagielka, who inexplicably turns away from it when he looks to have a free header at goal. Collins clears. Weird.
81 min: Lukaku is booked for totting up one too many niggly fouls. He’s frustrated. He hasn’t had the support he’s needed tonight. Some Everton fans are heading for the exits already. Martínez is chewing his gum really hard in what looks like an attempt to find inspiration among all the saliva it will produce.
79 min: Downing – the new, good one – has been West Ham’s chief creator tonight. He tries to send Cole away down the inside-left channel but crossed signals lead to Cole checking his run at the moment Downing lets the ball go. Everton look a long way from an equaliser here.
77 min: Amalfitano off. Joey O’Brien on for Bolton. Another brick in the defensive wall that Big Sam has built since going 1-0 up. Meanwhile, a bomb was detonated in my local park on Sunday. I didn’t hear a thing either.
74 min: Everton are trying but failing to find their mojo. West Ham are doing a very good job of breaking up play with niggly pulls and wily old nicks. Oviedo does manage to whip a cross into the 18-yard box from 30 yards out on the right but Reid, who has been very impressive, clears.
71 min: All these changes have taken the flow out of the game as have a number of bitty challenges, the latest from Besic leading to a free-kick that Downing whips in to Reid, who jumps highest but heads a yard wide. Meanwhile in the world of broken resolutions: “While I’m also failing at keeping New Year’s Resolutions I am enjoying the mid-afternoon tin to get me through the day which is now known as “Paternity Leave.” Shoot me, please. Shoot me now …” writes NO1 dad, Travis Giblin.
69 min: Distin is off and John Stones is on. That’s a good sight for Everton fans. He’s been sorely missed in defence. How fit he is remains to be seen. He’s given an early test by an underhit Barkley layoff that the young defender deals with diligently.
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67 min: Matt Jarvis is taken off for the son of Gus Poyet, Diego. Jarvis has been sharp today. Poyet will be more economical in possession though. Big Sam’s looking to pull down the shutters here.
65 min: Eto’o is booked inside 45 seconds. Impressive. He doesn’t deserve to be shown a yellow card, mind. He ran into Noble, who reacted like he’d been hit by a Virgin Pendalino train.
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64 min: Lukaku, with his back to goal, turns sharply and thrashes a shot a good 10 yards over from 25 yards. Wild. Mirallas is off and Eto’o is on.
62 min: Jagielka crumples to the turf as Cole makes his first impression on the game, a swinging arm that fells the Everton defender. No card, he was just being, erm, Carlton Cole.
@GreggBakowski Everton 0-1 Everton, eh? West Ham just decided to go for a post half-time drink?
— Andrew K (@phelanGH8) January 6, 2015
Ahem, yes, my test worked. You are reading.
58 min: Lukaku heads home for Everton … but the flag goes up for a push on Reid. Correctly, a replay shows. Meanwhile, trundling’s Carlton Cole is on for Enner Valencia.
57 min: Valencia almost makes it 2-0 a minute later. He’s free in the box but heads straight at Robles, who tips over.
Goal! Everton 0-1 West Ham (Collins 56)
This is one for Pat Nevin’s collection. West Ham break and win a corner. It’s whipped in brilliantly to the near post by Downing. Collins runs across Lukaku and neither Naismith nor Besic get close enough to the defender as he powers home from four yards.
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54 min: Everton pick up the pace and a fine passing move falters at the last as Lukaku just overhits his final ball into Barkley, who was trying to burst past Tomkins for a free run on goal.
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52 min: “I’d resolved to stop emailing in useless comments to the Guardians MBM for the new year. So much for that. Sorry,” writes Justin Kavanagh. Don’t apologise Justin, that’s one of my entries sorted. Ta.
50 min: This is a livelier than the flat atmosphere would suggest. Cresswell has a pop from 20 yards and forces Robles to spill for corner. The corner cis cleared to the edge of the box and then a Cresswell shot is blocked before Everton finally clear.
48 min: Mirallas displays a lovely bit of improvisation by trying a first-time side-footed volley from 20 yards. With two defenders around him and the ball dropping over his shoulder, he tries to lift the ball over Adrian but lands it on the top-netting. Adrian was beaten.
46 min: West Ham start the second half much the brighter side. Both Jarvis and Amalfitano work themselves into space on their respective wings and force clearances from Jagielka and Distin respectively. Carroll would have fancied getting onto Jarvis’s cross then. It’s the kind he would throw himself at like a human spear.
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45 min: Peep! It’s the second half. There don’t appear to have been any changes, other than those made to Silvain Distin’s boots. He’s changed his studs apparently.
I have just been put right by an emeritus professor of English. I’m feeling the pressure just knowing that he is out there reading this. Hello Robert Griffiths! Right, almost time for the second half …
As for resolutions being – or not being – adhered to, here’s Damian Clarke … “I lasted until 2.30pm on the 1st. Resolutions, like the dreams of children, are made to be shattered.” Cheery.
“If the Guardian believe in the magic of the Cup why aren’t they covering Scunthorpe vs Chesterfield,” asks John Tumbridge. “Surely they have covered an Everton v West Ham game before though the reasons why this might have happened escape me.” Well John, here’s Mr Match Centre with a half-time report. Scunthorpe are leading 2-0 despite having just 20% possession apparently. It could be a a low-percentage victory to rival Switzerland v Spain in the 2010 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Gary Naylor, is perhaps on a BMX riding round like Ian Brown. Why? Because he has the F.E.A.R.
@GreggBakowski 35 years ago, morning queue for a ticket, M62 to Leeds and defeat. I fear Kevin Nolan dancing round the corner flag tonight.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) January 6, 2015
The good news for you Gary, is that Nolan isn;t playing far enough forward to get near the Everton goal.
Chris Lawlor is stuck in the Football Manager twilight zone: “As an Evertonian currently ‘managing’ West Ham on FM14 I’m finding this game a real struggle. It’s the whole Dougal ‘reality vs Non reality’ scenario … and I’d never have Nolan playing there…That’s Tiote’s spot. I’m lost.” I hope you don’t look like Cartman is this episode of South Park, Chris.
Half-time: Everton 0-0 West Ham
Well, that’s been OK. Nothing more, nothing less. Everton edging it at the moment but West Ham do pose a threat.
44 min: Lukaku is keen to keep up his fine record against West Ham. He picks the ball up 30 yards from goal, takes a touch and drives at West Ham’s defence before hitting a low shot at Adriano that the goalkeeper makes a meal of, spilling it towards Naismith and being rescued by Reid before the Everton player can pounce.
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42 min: Everton’s defence creaks! Jagielka turns his back on a Downing cross, the ball bounces off the Everton defender’s back and Amalfitano’s eyes light up like a ravenous dog awaiting a treat, before crashing a shot over the bar.
41 min: “Besic loves a tackle like I love a bacon butty,” writes Mike Samuelson, who, I presume is not a vegetarian.
39 min: Mirallas is causing trouble since switching to the left. He’s finding space between the midfield shield of Nolan and Noble and West Ham’s centre-backs. He cuts inside again and has a pop at goal from 20 yards, but his shot is deflected wide … just.
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37 min: There’s a period in which both teams tussle for midfield supremacy, with spells of possession for both. Eventually, Everton emerge with the ball and Oviedo finds some space. He plays a ball down the wing for Mirallas, who cleverly peels off Tomkins, cuts inside and whips a delicious ball into the six-yard box that is too high for Lukaku … and bounces over the outstretched leg of Naismith on the far post. That was a wonderful cross.
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35 min: Kevin Nolan doesn’t look comfortable in a deeper midfield role. He’s always been more effective as a Frank Lampard/David Platt figure, timing his run into the box from an advanced position. Needs must for Big Sam though.
32 min: There’s a lull after the game’s best spell. So how has 2015 been for you so far? How are those resolutions working out? Back on the booze already? Thought as much.
29 min: But West Ham respond well. Downing and Cresswell work a crossing opportunity for the left-back after Jagielka was almost punished for a missed clearance – recovering to halt Valencia’s run at goal – but the West Ham defender’s cross is diverted wide by Distin. The resulting corner is caught at the second attempt by Robles and Everton breathe easy after a fraught couple of minutes.
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26 min: Everton have got their juices up now. Naismith drives across the goal from the narrowest of angles. Adrian may have got a touch to it but, it’s very close in any case. They need to turn this pressure into a goal before they run out of steam.
25 min: Everton create their best chance of the match, breaking with razor-sharp precision. Naismith gathers gathers possession in his own half, finds Barkley on the halfway line who, turning in one sweeping movement, pings a pass forwards between two West Ham players for Lukaku to take in his stride. He drives into the box but hits his left-footed shot just wide of the right-hand post.
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23 min: “Can we talk for a moment that a Canadian kid has joined the Premier League! Doneil Henry, formally of his hometown club Toronto FC is now with West Ham. I know he’s not playing today but … he could have been! I’d never consider being a Hammer (unlikely there’s many in Canada) but maybe now I will be,” writes Miriam Osborne. Well, they’ll need another centre-back when Reid does one, Miriam.
20 min: Nolan shows just how much West Ham miss Song. He drops deep to pick up possession off Tomkins but miscontrols and then gets in a fluster and plays a woeful pass inside where Gareth Barry picks up possession 30 yards from goal. He should play a crisp pass in front of MIrallas but the ball is a poor one, making the Belgian check his run and then see his shot at goal blocked well by Reid. Better quality from Barry and that was 1-0 to Everton.
18 min: Everton’s fans are starting to get behind their team after a concerted spell of possession leads to a pass inside to Naismith, who pulls off his marker 15 yards from goal, and drives low and hard but just an inch or two wide of Adrian’s right-hand post. That was much better from Everton.
15 min: That one was overhit – another for Nevin’s sequel – but the cross that is lofted in after that causes a bit of panic in the Everton ranks. You get the feeling West Ham are going to keep trying to play on Everton’s lack of confidence in dealing with high balls. So far they’re holding firm.
13 min: I’m just lettingg it sink in, but I’m pretty sure a few moments ago Michael Owen referred to the ‘facial part of the head’. If you heard this please let me know so I don’t think I’m going mad. He meant the face, right? Mean while, West Ham have forced another corner.
12 min: Lukaku almost conjures something, taking a throw-in on his thigh, bursting across the 18-yard box and thumping a shot straight at Adrian. Then keeper fumbles his first take and then blocks a shot from the onrushing Naismith. That was better from Everton.
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11 min: A little quality wouldn’t go amiss. Where’s the magic?
8 min: West Ham win a corner. Jarvis swings the first one in, but it doesn’t clear the first man. Pat Nevin, accompanied by Radiohead, would have something to say about that. A second one is taken short but comes to nothing. A third is cleared … and a fourth is played short and then floated in but Reid’s header goes harmlessly wide. Carry on.
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6 min: Everton are happy to knock the ball around in defence. Then a long ball forwards leaves Winston Reid needing attention after a clash of heads with Naismith. Where’s Reid off to then?
5 min: West Ham might want to keep an eye on Lukaku.
3 - Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his three appearances for Everton against West Ham. Scourge.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 6, 2015
4 min: Another sharp attack by Everton draws a roar from the crowd. Naismith is set free on the left but his cross, pulled back towards Mirallas, is cut out by Collins – and West Ham clear.
2 min: Oviedo shows good awareness and an eye for a pass as he jinks inside his marker on the left and plays a low ball into Lukaku in the 18-yard box. The big forward turns and heads to the byline but his cross towards Naismith is deflected away up and over his intended target.
1 min: West Ham get to business early, lofting a ball into the Everton box that Robles makes a meal of collecting, opting to catch in at his chest rather than above his head. Offside is given against Valencia, though, which is lucky as the Everton keeper spilled his attempted take.
Peep! And we are under way at Goodison Park, where the atmosphere seems pretty flat thanks to the empty seats.
Everton’s lineup, with four at the back, seems much more solid to me. Expect both to play lone forwards, with Lukaku leading the line for Everton and Valencia doing that job for West Ham.
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Goodison Park looks about 75% full as the teams emerge to the Z-Cars theme tune. Well done FA for spreading these fixtures out like Marmite.
Everton fans have been fearful about their side morphing into Roberto Martinez’s Wigan. If this follows it means they’ll be great in the Cup. It also means they’ll get drawn into a relegation battle. Oh well. Tonight’s the FA Cup. So enjoy this one.
West Ham do not do well against Everton. The last time they beat the Toffees was 15 games ago in 2006-07! But, they’ve been playing very well this season. Sam Allardyce is confident: “It’s a pretty strong team despite the Africa Cup of Nations lads going. Andy [Carroll] kicked the floor in training. So he hasn’t travelled with us.” Oh Andy. He also says he has no idea what’s going on with Alex Song. He may be with Cameroon or he may not be. It he’s not that would be great news for West Ham. He has been such an important player for them recycling possession and always giving the defence an outlet.”
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So, no Andy Carroll for West Ham. And it’s his birthday too. He’s hurt his ankle apparently, hopefully not while playing musical statues this afternoon. That will come as a relief for Everton, who have been bossed around far too easily in defence this season. As for Everton, they are without Leighton Baines. He has a minor injury but Bryan Oviedo will be grateful for the opportunity to get a full game and the chance to show why he could be the future for Everton in that position as Baines grows older.
Evening. First things first. Here are tonight’s teams …
Everton: Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Oviedo, Besic, Barry, Naismith, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku. Subs: Eto’o, McGeady, Kone, Stones, Browning, Garbutt, Griffiths.
West Ham: Adrian, Jenkinson, Reid, Collins, Cresswell, Amalfitano, Nolan, Noble, Jarvis, Downing, Valencia. Subs: Tomkins, Vaz Te, O’Brien, Demel, Jaaskelainen, Poyet, Cole.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
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Good evening. Gregg will be here soon enough. While you wait, here is Andy Hunter on why Roberto Martínez believes Everton’s tie against West Ham could be ‘a pivotal moment’ after four successive defeats raise questions about his methods. Enjoy.
The first press conference of 2015 at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground and questions to Roberto Martínez range from whether he feels increased pressure (answer: no) to does he retain the support of the chairman, Bill Kenwright (answer: yes). This was no media hysteria; it really has reached this point for the man lauded for removing the glass ceiling from Everton’s ambitions merely seven months ago.
In June Martínez was rewarded with a new five-year contract for an outstanding debut season as Everton manager, one that yielded the club’s record points total in the Premier League era and had supporters singing about the reopening of the ‘School of Science’ given the polished performances on display. The contract was one example of Everton’s trust in their intelligent, driven young manager. Backing his plans to spend a club-record £28m on Romelu Lukaku and to construct overnight accommodation at Finch Farm were others.
On Tuesday he faces a delicate, daunting FA Cup third-round tie against West Ham United in charge of a team who have rapidly lost their way and stand four points above the relegation zone after four successive defeats over the festive period. Martínez had described the new year’s day trip to Hull City as vital. A 2-0 defeat produced more abject defending, further evidence of senior players abdicating responsibility and more supporters questioning Martínez’s methods and decision-making. A win over West Ham “could be a pivotal moment in our season”, said the Everton manager on Monday. It would also register as a shock on current form.
“The truth is I feel under the same pressure when we win and when we lose because I always look forward,” Martínez said. “My vision is to create a team that can become a winning team. Losing games forces you to try and find solutions and to look inside in a different way than when you win.
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