Australia midfielder Tim Cahill scored a late equalizer and Tim Howard saved Jermain Defoe’s stoppage time penalty as Everton came from two goals down to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Sunday.
David Moyes’ injury-ravaged side looked dead and buried with 12 minutes to go at Goodison Park after second half strikes from Defoe and Michael Dawson put Spurs firmly in control.
However, Louis Saha came off the bench to reduce the deficit and Cahill headed home four minutes from full time.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Defoe had a chance to win it from the penalty spot, but the England striker’s kick was kept out by American goalkeeper Howard.
After three successive league defeats, Everton’s great escape will feel like a victory, although the Toffees are still just three points and three places above the relegation zone.
Tottenham would have gone third with a win, but stay fourth after a meltdown that capped a dispiriting week that also included a League Cup exit at Manchester United.
Everton’s lengthy injury list had deprived Moyes of nine potential first-team regulars including defenders Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka, so right-back Tony Hibbert had to play at center-back alongside Joseph Yobo.
It wasn’t long before Tottenham began to turn the screw on Everton’s under-manned defense. Peter Crouch fired over after Aaron Lennon’s pass cut open the home back-four, then Defoe completely wrong-footed Hibbert and brought a fine stop from Howard.
Nigeria international Yobo had been passed fit after a hamstring injury, but he lasted just 15 minutes before limping off with a recurrence of the problem as Moyes’ injury woes continued.
The lack of options at Moyes’ disposal became clear as he sent on Seamus Coleman, 21, for only his second Premier League appearance in place of Yobo.
Defoe always looked capable of tormenting the Everton defense and he took Niko Kranjcar’s clever pass in stride before poking his shot narrowly wide.
Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto was lucky to escape with a yellow card after appearing to scrape his boot down the back of Cahill’s head as the pair lay on the floor and then pushing the Australian and Marouane Fellaini.
Fellaini was also cautioned in the same incident and the Belgium midfielder could have been sent off seconds later for elbowing Crouch.
Defoe gave Tottenham the perfect start to the second half as he opened the scoring in the 47th minute.
Lennon whipped in a cross from the right and Defoe got ahead of Hibbert at the near post to turn in his 13th goal of the season.
Dawson made it 2-0 as he escaped Lucas Neill’s attentions to meet Kranjcar’s 59th minute corner with a diving header that flashed past Howard for his second goal in successive games.
But substitute striker Saha set up a dramatic finish when he volleyed in Coleman’s cross at the near post in the 78th minute.
Everton had been given a lifeline and Cahill equalized in the 86th minute with a low header from Leighton Baines’ cross.
That wasn’t the end of the drama. In the second minute of stoppage time, Crouch headed down to Wilson Palacios and Hibbert conceded a penalty with a clumsy barge on the midfielder.
A lengthy delay followed while Palacios received treatment and when Defoe finally stepped up to take the spot-kick his low strike was pushed away by Howard’s legs to cap a remarkable finale.
English Premier League
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Chelsea | 15 | 27 | 36 |
2 | Manchester United | 15 | 21 | 34 |
3 | Arsenal | 14 | 20 | 28 |
4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 14 | 27 |
5 | Aston Villa | 15 | 11 | 26 |
6 | Manchester City | 14 | 8 | 25 |
7 | Liverpool | 15 | 11 | 24 |
8 | Fulham | 15 | 3 | 22 |
9 | Birmingham City | 15 | -1 | 21 |
10 | Sunderland | 15 | 0 | 20 |
11 | Stoke City | 15 | -4 | 20 |
12 | Blackburn Rovers | 15 | -12 | 18 |
13 | Burnley | 15 | -14 | 17 |
14 | Wigan Athletic | 15 | -17 | 17 |
15 | Everton | 15 | -8 | 16 |
16 | Hull City | 16 | -17 | 16 |
17 | West Ham United | 15 | -6 | 14 |
18 | Wolverhampton | 15 | -14 | 13 |
19 | Bolton Wanderers | 14 | -12 | 12 |
20 | Portsmouth | 15 | -10 | 10 |
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS