Everton:
Wright, Yobo, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Watson, Gravesen
,
Carsley, Pembridge, Rooney,
Campbell.
Subs:
Gerrard, Naysmith (for Pembridge 75mins), Gemmill (for Gravesen 66mins),
Li Tie & Ferguson (for Watson 82mins)
Have
you ever been in that situation where your Boss knows that you are
trying to blag it on the Friday? I was there this week and I got that
one where he's got the finger on you - I had to work, finish at 2
whilst the other Kippers fucked off to Brum and I headed to see the
Jumbotron, that's not the wife, that's the big screen at Goodison.
I was grateful in the circumstances!
I don't think I've ever seen us win on the big screen - oh yes I have,
beating the shite away when Kipper stood on the seat to celebrate,
it flipped up and he broke his toe - classic! That is the only time,
the others saw 2 sent off at Newcastle & Tommy sent off at Analfield
so I don't have a good record with the Jumbotron - despite being married
to her for nearly 27 years!
No surprise with the team then, if you win you are in with Moyesy.
However there was a surprise when the All Blacks appeareed in the
3rd strip, those supporters coming straight from the funeral must
have been well pleased, I actually like the kit and was delighted
to see it.
I felt like a loner, no pre-match discussion, not pissed (driven from
work) & weird atmosphere - my thoughts were how far have we actually
come under the great ginger one? Would we crush the Baggies and show
the gulf between top & bottom or would we as Toffees accept we
haven't seen that for a while and watch WBA fight for their lives
to avoid the inevitable.
Well it started just like that, under the cosh, they even hit the
bar which was a big 'wake up' call. Wrighty was doing well whilst
being kept busy, our first effort at the other end was a tame one
from Stevie Watson.
Then The Duke sprang into action, with good control and a neat little
jink he created an opening but shot over. Next normal service was
resumed and Wrighty had to pull off another good save.
As if hitting the bar wasn't enough to wake us up, on about 20 mins
they got a pen! Stubbsy was supposed to have handled the ball inside
the area, it was difficult to tell, anyway the ref - the balding Steve
Bennett gave it & Igor Balis, from the Hammer Hose of Horrors,
sent Wrighty the wrong way. I fuckin' hate these big screens!
It didn't take us long to draw level, from a Pembo corner Davey Weir
headed in to equalise although Super Kev also claimed a touch, it
looked like Davy's. Happy Days! I ran up & down the steps then
sat down whilst others looked on as though I was not all there!
We still didn't learn our lesson, quite how they missed an open goal
I do not know but that's what happened, after Wrighty had saved AGAIN,
Hughes squared the ball avoiding a Stubbsy lunge and Johnson knocked
a tap in wide. Super had then ball in the net but it was clearly offside.
The next incident was bizzare, play was stopped & Moyesy got a
red card and was sent from the dug out, I don't know who the 4rd official
was but he obviously did not like some home truths. I'm sure we have
not heard the end of this one. The drama continued.
Weir should have put us in front from another wicked Pembo corner
before we went ahead just before the break. From another Pembo corner
the ball went right through, Rooney chased and pulled it back to Super
Kev who scored, deep joy, another Barry Fry followed.
They looked very vulnerable at the back but were clearly going to
give it a go, the half time whistle was a joy and a chance for Moyesy
to come down from the stands and set his stall out for the second
half.
HALF TIME 1-2
I don't know what Moyesy said but it was pretty much the same as the
start to the first half with the exception of two bookings. Tommy
for clattrering Lee Hughes & Rooney for kicking the ball away
after being ruled offside. The curly finger quickly follwed for Tommy
and Scott Gemmill came on. Pembo followed shortly afterwards, he looked
knackered and Nace came on.
The game was pretty scrappy at this point, we looked a bit stronger
at the back, Joey was starring again and whatever had been said we
seemed tighter in the middle.
A massive cheer followed as Big Dunc was introduced for Wato but the
star of the second half was Rooney, he forced a great save from Hoult
& put a shot just wide into the side netting. It was looking pretty
comfortable but with just the one goal in it & us being Evertonians
you know it is never over until that whistle goes.
The whistle went and that was it, this was not a great game, it was
winning ugly and if you think about it, the performance of a top 6
side team. We needed to win and did. Kept us above the shite &
set us up nicely, I'm asking the Easter Bunny for 3 points and the
best Easter for years!
Good result, just what me Boss ordered so I didn't rip into him on
Mundy. Blue Kipper Star Man could not be given to the boy wonder yet
again, so I gave it to Joey Yobo who was solid throughout. Bring on
the redshite!
ALTERNATIVE
VIEW WITH BLUE KIPPER 'THANKS' TO REDUNDANT GEOFF (Hope your 'nads
get better soon)
Baggie Baggie, Going Down.
By
Redundant.
For too long football has been something to do on the weekend. I try
to stretch it to a couple of days before and maybe a couple after.
Match day is 2 days short of a week for me – at least at the moment.
It has been known this season to come home nine days after a game.
Such is life.
This being the case I had to meet the
Chemical Riviera crew at the ground as I had been on my last Roxy
Trip for a while. The drive up from Dat Der London to Baggieland took
enough time to make us impatient but short enough for only one piss
stop. WBA rightfully earned their place in the Premier last season
but now it’s so long and thanks for the fish now piss off back to
the 1st division and scrap with Grimsby. Oh, and for all those points
you gave to so many of us, here’s a 5 million bonus – except we’ll
call it a parachute payment and not a bribe. You get the feeling that
it is a quaint place. Just like the village pub, we could park right
next door. Admittedly we had to plough our way through the size challenged
hordes of Black Country Bumpkins but it gave us enough time to get
to the bar inside. Cans for a fortune and a balti pie that looked
well dodgy. Tarby (Paul O’Grady) had one but me, I’ll stick to the
brew. Thankfully we won’t have to be back there until I’m grey and
old but by then there may be laws about providing such facilities.
It’s been done on the cheap. It was probably finished on a foreigner
– weekends and evenings. The tight bastards won’t even provide TVs
for visiting fans. They have them all round the ground, but not for
us. Just another Suit example. We really are a captive audience. WBA
Penguins want local people to come back – try improving the team gentlemen
– so they provide them with the facilities. Visitors hope to never
have to come back to this Brummie Shithole so why should they spend
it on improving facilities for us. Once a decade we go there and that
is too quick for me.
I’m
amazed at what Everton have achieved this season. Not least after
this match in Black Country Bumpkin Land. If we can still win despite
the overwhelming odds stacked against us with that bastard Slaphead
Bennett in charge then we can still make automatic Champions League.
Bennett was an absolute disgrace to the already foul profession. All
referees hate us, it defines us. But to see Bennett award dodgy fouls,
a penalty and even re-awarding a throw in against us beggared belief.
Booking Rooney may have been technically correct but for shit sake,
the lads a kid and warn him that it isn’t allowed. After Moyes got
sent off for what can only be assumed he said “Ref, you’re a fucking
wanker” actually did the team a lot of good. Americans in Baseball
call it “Getting yourself tossed” – apparently it is supposed to galvanise
the team in to something with a bit more hunger by getting yourself
thrown out by swearing at the Umpire. I’m not saying that we should
learn from men’s rounders, or that Moyes got the idea from them –
but it did work. Right up to half time!
18 fucking minutes and 1 down. Bennett
the Tit gave a penalty that had us baying for blood. The ‘for sale’
Baggie kicked the ball a whole foot to hit Stubbsy on the arm. No
hesitation. Penalty – their 1st this season. How the fuck can he give
that? It was suggested by a hardened cynic in front of me that he
was in the Murdoch Pay and would do anything to ensure Sky had a match
to show that meant anything at the end of the season. She didn’t assume
that refs in general hate us. People do remember that he was the wanker
who awarded the penalty at Southampton. 3 times the ref missed similar
handballs, as well as hauling down Super and Duke and other misdemeanours.
He was stood by most of them. He can’t be blind; he saw things that
no one else in the stadium did. Ever get that feeling? Funnily enough
we didn’t. There is a reason that WBA are going down. They are shit.
They could have had 4 by half time. If I was a Baggie I would have
gone home early and kicked the cat way ahead of schedule. Their form
in front of goal makes grown men wince. I bet England’s Number One
was laughing his tits off to himself. Balis’s penalty was just to
Number One’s left – just guessed wrong. However we did give them too
much room in the midfield. What midfield? For the second week running
it went missing. We just let them come at us. Balls from defence were
just getting wellied over to Super and Duke, as the midfield couldn’t
do anything with it. Gravedigger and Pembo gave the ball away with
alarming regularity. These were just short balls as well but with
a lazy feel. They never gave the ball a chance to get to the man.
In fairness, players around them weren’t exactly moving either. Super
was slow for the most part. Even his main strength these last few
months – the head down/flick on – evaded him. The Baggies started
the game with 2 on him for the long/high balls. He didn’t really get
a sniff and with Bennett’s lack of a sense of fair play, his head
seemed to go down.
Corner ball though and a great cross
from Pembo. Perfect for an attacking header. Beautiful Weir rose and
buried it. In the meantime Super is down in the box and we all think
it’s him that has scored. Sorry Davie. Super down though, from what
appeared to be a rather nasty elbow but what actually turned out to
be a howler by Hoult. Overrated Hughes gave a particularly nasty knock
to Stubbsy I think. Bennett waived play on. Tit.
Yobo then made a perfect cross from the
right to find Super but it was ruled offside by the linesman. Still,
we blamed the ref.
Toilets at grounds are an abysmal affair.
Always overflowing and overcrowded. The solution would be to place
a pan under every seat. That way I wouldn’t miss the goals so often.
5 this season already. Needless to say I missed Super’s goal. Chemical
Rivieras all around told me, in slurred voices that a ball that was
bound for touch was turned back in by Duke for a simple tap in by
Super. As we are not the most prolific of scorers, every goal seen
represents some value for money at least but I really wished that
I wouldn’t see another one for the remainder.
Half time and fans and those who need
a top up descend to the well stocked bar. The orderly queues before
half time were just history. It was a free for all. Having no intention
of having my already thin frame squashed to the thickness of paper
I thought better of drinking an overpriced warm beer that cost 50p
from ASDA. The place was buzzing though and even some of Bennett’s
howlers were forgotten for a brief 15 minutes.
Back to the seats and WBA were already
out. Everton have quite a reputation nowadays for being last out but
we were first out of the blocks. Rooney, as quick and delectable as
ever nearly fired in a couple for us. Yobo was streaking down the
flank – probably trying to show the rest that if they aren’t going
to move for him then he’ll move for them. Watson and Pembo were substituted
as they looked knackered and Gravedigger was taken off for what can
only be assumed as for his own protection. He gets booked for arguing
the toss but never for ploughing through a Barcode.
Right at the death, Bennett the Bastard
gave a foul on the edge of the box after Naysmith had won a clean
tackle. Good job that they mucked that up, but only after we arsed
around trying to clear the ball like a bunch of kids.
Final whistle, but for some it felt almost
like a defeat. After spending 90 minutes shouting shit at the ref,
savouring the moment was hard work. To top it all off, the WBA Henri
Lloyd brigade wanted a final piece of us. Credit to the WBA Bizzies,
they saved their skin. I don’t condone violence at all but letting
the Baggies through would have been a valuable learning experience
for them.
The coach home was, by our standards
at least, fast and comfortable – remember the trek from the Arse –
11½ hours on the road in total and a driver that thought he
was in a pony and trap? Anyway, we are no longer the paupers of the
Away support. King of the Kids lot had their own super turbo charged
rust bucket to take them home. The most valuable thing about it was
the Duke sketch he paid 200 for at the Hall of Fame do.
We
shouldn’t really struggle against the Shite but we must defend better
than that. WBA let us off with woeful finishing, will they?
Quotes
Alan
Irvine said: "We've come from behind quite a few times
this season and we needed a lot of character to do that here. We didn't
play well but we hung in there and it's the mark of a team with a
lot of spirit and a lot of character that you can do that.Six points
out of six gives us a massive boost going into the tough games we
have ahead."
Jogger:
That Koumas looks some player.
Lard:
He play for us next year
Jogger:
How's that?
Lard:
"Because we'll sign him, yer divi
Team
News
Because
Tony Hibbert is not quite ready yet the back four will stay the same.
The question is will Harry Hill keep his place, he didn't do much
wrong against the barcodes so he should play. With The Rad fit he
may give Wayne a rest. Sorry I was just joking. For me it's the same
team that played Newcastle. But Moyesy may take a chance on anybody
whose fit and raring to go.
Moyesy
said:"We have to take risks now. We need people ready
to play, we can't give them time because there are onlt four or five
weeks of the season left. Thomasz is making progress. We will make
a decision on him based on how he does in training today"
"We
are treating each match in the same way. We have not had an easy game
this season and I don't expect it to start now. This would have been
a tough match no matter what position they were in and regardless
of how we did in our last match"
Sausage's
Team: Wright, Yobo, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Watson, Gravesen,
Carsley, Pembridge, Rooney, Campbell.
