Late goals not enough at Goodison Park

Our last-ever Premier League game at Goodison Park ended in a 3-2 defeat on Sunday afternoon.

With Everton moving into a new stadium at the end of the season, this was our last league encounter at the famous old venue but it certainly won’t be one that will live long in the memory after a disappointing result.

Ravaged by injuries with 11 first-teamers out and Dominic Solanke now added to the list of absentees, we found ourselves 3-0 down at half-time against an Everton side which had failed to score in nine of their last 11 league matches, goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an own goal from Archie Gray putting the hosts in control.

Dejan Kulusevski pulled one back with 13 minutes remaining and Richarlison netted at his former stomping ground two minutes into stoppage time, but it was too little too late on another tough afternoon.

Everton, under the guidance of David Moyes following his recent return as manager, had the first shot in anger, just seven minutes gone when Jesper Lindstrom hit a 20-yard drive which Antonin Kinsky kept out with a diving save to his right but the Czech goalkeeper was beaten in the 13th minute as Everton took the lead when Calvert-Lewin showed quick feet in the area to work some space before sliding a shot into the bottom corner.

A great last-ditch tackle from James Tarkowski prevented Heung-Min Son from getting a shot away after being played in down the inside left channel before we carved Everton open in the 24th minute, Kulusevski free down the right and his cut-back found Son but Jordan Pickford got down low to save his effort from 10 yards.

It was end-to-end at that stage and we were thankful to Kinsky for keeping us in it with two excellent saves, the first as he rushed out to smother the ball when Calvert-Lewin was in one-on-one before a wonderful one-handed diving save to tip Orel Mangala’s curling effort onto the post. Son then got away again but Pickford thwarted him and then we had penalty claims waved away after Jarrod Branthwaite clattered into the back of our skipper, only for us to concede a second on the half-hour mark, Ndiaye advancing into the area before clipping a shot past Kinsky.

There were seven minutes added on at the end of the half, primarily for a lengthy stop to address a nasty cut to Radu Dragusin’s forehead and, after Kinsky had kept out Tarkowski’s close-range header, Everton added a third just before the interval. A deep cross was headed back into the six-yard box by Tarkowski and Gray inadvertently put through his own net with Jake O’Brien ready to poke the ball home behind him.

The early stages of the second period saw us more in the final third without forcing Pickford into a save while Everton went close again on the hour, Calvert-Lewin curling wide after Kinsky’s ball out was intercepted. Substitute Richarlison was unlucky not to have a better first touch when put through by Pedro Porro’s long pass and Pickford was able to gather, before James Maddison put too much whip and power on his effort when the ball came to him on the edge of the area in the 73rd minute.

We were on the scoresheet four minutes later, though, with a delightful finish from Kulusevski. After Maddison had latched onto Son’s pass and prevented the outrushing Pickford from gathering the ball, he played in Mikey Moore whose shot was blocked just seconds after coming off the bench and it fell to our Swedish forward who clipped a sublime shot over three defenders and Pickford and into the back of the net.

The mood in the stadium became one of nervousness as we pushed for a late recovery and Richarlison saw a shot blocked with Pickford saving the rebound and when the Brazil forward tucked home a superb Moore cross at the back post in the 92nd minute, it gave us a glimmer of hope. However, there just wasn’t enough time remaining to mount a sustained spell of pressure and we had to settle for another one-goal defeat.

Match data

Goals: Everton – Calvert-Lewin 13, Ndiaye 30, Gray 45+7; Spurs – Kulusevski 77, Richarlison 90+2.

Yellow cards: Everton – Calvert-Lewin, Doucoure; Spurs – Bergvall.

Referee: Darren England.

Venue: Goodison Park.

Weather: Light cloud, light winds, two degrees.

Attendance: 39,326.