Tim Cahill marked his return from injury with the winning goal as Everton beat Stoke 3-2 at the Britannia Stadium.
Cahill grabs winner as Everton respond to Stoke fightback
Tim Cahill marked his return from injury with the winning goal as Everton beat Stoke City 3-2 in a pulsating game at the Britannia Stadium.
The Australian midfielder had not played since March, but headed home on 77 minutes after Stoke had battled back from two goals down.
A drab first half had been illuminated by Yakubu's 41st minute opener, with the Nigerian showing nimble footwork before placing his shot beyond Thomas Sorensen.
The tempo increased markedly after the break and Everton went further in front on 51 minutes when Victor Anichebe ambled away from Seyi Olofinjana to help Mikel Arteta's free-kick inside the far post.
Olofinjana atoned for his lapse in concentration by bringing Stoke back into the game on 54 minutes with a thumping volley after Everton failed to cope with Rory Delap's long throw-in.
Ricardo Fuller had an equaliser disallowed on the hour mark before the Potters did level on 63 minutes when Phil Jagielka could only glance another Delap rocket into his own net.
Everton should have had a penalty on 73 minutes when Leon Cort handled, but despite referee Alan Wiley initially awarding the spot-kick, he changed his mind after consulting his assistant.
David Moyes was sent from the stands for protesting the decision, but his mood was lifted when Cahill darted to the near post to meet Arteta's corner to head home a 77th minute winner.
Sloppy play
The game's first chance arrived after 12 minutes following a flowing Stoke attack.
The ball was worked out to Liam Lawrence on the right wing and he slid a pass through to Fuller, whose low, first-time shot across goal was pushed out by a strong Tim Howard hand before being smothered by the American at the second attempt.
A sloppy passage of play ensued as both teams struggled to retain possession, seemingly becoming bereft of ideas when in the opposition's final third.
A long throw from Delap presented Olofinjana with a shooting opportunity 10 minutes before the break when Everton could only clear the ball to the edge of their own area, but the former Wolves midfielder wildly blasted over the crossbar.
Five minutes later Yakubu put Everton ahead with the Merseysiders' first shot on target of the first half.
A clever reverse pass by Arteta to Cahill created confusion inside the Stoke penalty area. Cahill laid the ball into Yakubu's path and he coolly steered it into the bottom corner from 18 yards out for his third goal of the season.
Five minutes into the second half Everton doubled their advantage through Anichebe.
Arteta won a free-kick 25 yards out on the right of the area. The diminutive Spaniard took the kick himself, curling the ball with his right foot into the box where Anichebe's glancing header to the far post left Sorensen rooted to the spot in the centre of his goal.
But Everton's two-goal lead last just three minutes before it was halved by Olofinjana.
Justice done
Delap's long throw was punched downwards by Howard and the ball deflected into the path of Olofinjana, who volleyed powerfully past the keeper from just beyond the penalty spot.
Stoke thought they had equalised just before the hour when Fuller outmuscled Joseph Yobo on the edge of the area to get to Dave Kitson's flick header.
Fuller took the ball around Howard, tapped into an empty net and wheeled off in celebration, but referee Wiley adjudged that he had fouled Yobo.
Stoke were level in the 63rd minute when another throw launched into the box by Delap flicked off the head of Jagielka at the near post and beyond Howard.
Stoke were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Cort handled the ball inside the box under pressure from Yakubu in the 74th minute.
The offence clearly took place inside the area but Wiley awarded a free-kick on the edge.
The decision incensed Moyes so much that the Everton manager was sent to the stands following his protests.
Moyes would have felt a sense of justice done three minutes later when Cahill's run to the near post was not tracked by the Stoke defence and he headed home the winning goal.
| Stoke City |
Team Statistics |
Everton |
| 2 |
Goals |
3 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
4 |
| 5 |
Shots off Target |
3 |
| 7 |
Blocked Shots |
7 |
| 6 |
Corners |
8 |
| 12 |
Fouls |
19 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
2 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 64.1 |
Passing Success |
75.5 |
| 14 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 57.1 |
Tackles Success |
80 |
| 43.8 |
Possession |
56.2 |
| 51.5 |
Territorial Advantage |
48.5 |
|
