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Sunderland feeling down as Wes Brown own goal puts Everton fourth Sunderland feeling down as Wes Brown own goal puts Everton fourth
(35 minutes later)
Winning ugly is not really Roberto Martínez's thing but his Everton players made a decent fist of grinding out a strictly no-frills victory which promises to help propel them on to the Champions League stage. Winning ugly is not really Roberto Martínez's thing but his Everton players made a decent fist of grinding out a strictly no-frills victory that promises to help propel them on to the Champions League stage.
Secured courtesy of Wes Brown's own goal, this was far from the sort of fluent, beautifully crafted triumph which is becoming synonymous with Martínez's side but its importance cannot be underestimated. Secured courtesy of Wes Brown's own goal, this was far from the fluent, beautifully crafted triumph generally synonymous with Martínez's side but its importance should not be underestimated.
Up to fourth place, two points clear of Arsenal, a huge prize is now within Everton's grasp. Their manager was congratulated with the warmest of embraces from his old friend and former Real Zaragoza team-mate Gus Poyet at the final whistle as the Uruguayan put a brave face on a defeat which all but rubber-stamps Sunderland's relegation. Up to fourth place, two points clear of Arsenal, a huge prize is now within Everton's grasp. Their manager was congratulated with the warmest of embraces from his old friend and former Real Zaragoza team-mate Gus Poyet at the final whistle as the Uruguayan put a brave face on a narrow defeat that all but rubber-stamps Sunderland's relegation.
After acknowledging that his bottom-placed side required "a miracle" to stay out of the Championship, Poyet had pledged to "go back to basics" and he did not disappoint. Sure enough, he abandoned his recent experiment with a back five, recalled Jack Colback to central midfield and even swapped his matchday suit for a tracksuit. "A bit of a contrast to some of our other games," said Martínez. "Very tense, very cagey, but really satisfying. With three points so significant for both teams I was always worried, but we defended very well. We didn't create too much, just three chances, so I'm pleased we took one."
His Sunderland players responded with vim and vigour but not too much finesse when it came to delivering the final ball. Yet much as their reversion to 4-1-4-1 seemed to have improved them, all things are relative and Everton enjoyed most of afternoon's more dangeorus attacking moments. Although it went down as Brown's own goal – Sunderland's sixth in the League – it was appropriate that he turned in a delivery from Gerard Deulofeu. The young winger, borrowed from Barcelona, was the one individual who stood out from the crowd, the only player to provoke a frisson every time he received possession. "It was the sort of game that needed a bit of magic and Gerard contributed it," said Martínez. "He was a real threat; the difference between 1-0 and a scrappy 0-0."
When Gerard Deulofeu, the exciting young winger borrowed from Barcelona, broke at speed it took some intelligent defensive positioning from Colback to manoeuvre him into a position from where his eventual shot was always unlikely to trouble Vito Mannone. After acknowledging his bottom-placed side required "a miracle" to survive, Poyet had pledged to "go back to basics" and he did not disappoint. Sure enough, he abandoned his recent experiment with a back five, reverted to 4-1-4-1, recalled Jack Colback to central midfield and even swapped his matchday suit for a tracksuit.
Brown, though, had no answers when Steven Naismith connected with a Leighton Baines pass before seamlessly turning him and then shooting, rather wastefully, over the bar. It represented a reprieve for Sunderland who swiftly benefited from another bit of good fortune when Leon Osman's shot was deflected to safety. It produced a much improved performance only lacking a touch of Deulofeu-esque invention and incision. "We competed and we were very close to Everton but it wasn't enough. It was the story of our season," said Poyet. "Something always goes wrong. It's difficult to take. It hurts. We still have a chance of staying up but we're running out of games."
Suitably encouraged Poyet's players raised their collective game. John Stones was required to scoop an angled Fabio Borini shot off the line while James McCarthy's excellent block denied Adam Johnson. With Connor Wickham's, Sunderland's lone striker, showing off some much improved hold-up play Poyet had reason to feel modestly encouraged at half-time. As well as Sunderland played at times, Tim Howard, Everton's goakeeper, was hardly overstretched while Everton's first two chances – both spurned by Steven Naismith – were highly inviting and of the variety rarely missed by the visiting midfielder.
The increasing ferocity with which Martínez chewed gum as he stood, arms folded, in his technical area confirmed that Everton were not having things quite all their own way. Brown certainly had no answers when Naismith connected with a Leighton Baines pass before seamlessly turning him and then shooting, wastefully, over the bar.
It was not long before the visiting manager liberated Ross Barkley from the bench, the youngster replacing Osman as the Mersysiders took a turn at upping the attacking tempo. When Mannone fluffed an attempted headed clearance the ball dropped conveniently for Naismith only for the midfielder to spurn a second clearcut chance. As his volley swerved wide the disappointment writ large across Martínez's face served as a reminder that such misses really can represent the difference between the Champions League and the Europa. The increasing ferocity with which Martínez chewed gum as he stood, arms folded, in his technical area, confirmed that Everton were not having things quite all their own way. By half-time John Stones had cleared off the line from Fabio Borini and Connor Wickham's excellent hold-up play was offering Poyet reasons for cautious optimism.
For all Sunderland's huff and puff, Tim Howard had not really been tested but Everton's goalkeeper needed a second attempt to gather Ki Sun-yueng's low shot from outside the area. In naming Kevin Mirallas and Ross Barkley as substitutes the visiting manager had taken quite a gamble and early in the second half he liberated the latter from the bench.
Then, just as mood of cautious optimsim began permeating the stands, Brown's week took a turn for the worse. As if receiving a black eye during Monday's 5-1 thrashing at Tottenham was not bad enough, Brown's own goal offered Everton renewed hope of trips to Bayern Munich, Barcelona et al next season. Shortly afterwards Mannone fluffed an attempted headed clearance and the ball dropped conveniently for Naismith who, uncharacteristically, sent his volley swerving wide. It was the sort of miss that can prove the difference between the Champions League qualifiers and the Europa League.
Deulofeu did the damage. Cutting in from the right the winger dodged Marcos Alosno before unleashing a cross shot which deflected off Brown and beyond Mannone. Unusually, Everton looked to be playing burdened by a little fear but Deulofeu proved a notable exception. Cutting in from the right, he dodged Marcos Alonso before unleashing a cross shot that, in deflecting off Brown and rolling beyond Mannone, confirmed that Poyet and Martínez remain on dramatically divergent paths.
Although Howard did well to save Wickham's shot and Borini also went close, Sunderland lacked the kind of Deulofeu-esque invention and incision required to persuade Wearside to start believing in miracles.