Everton claimed a narrow 1-0 win in tonight’s Premier League match against Newcastle United at Goodison Park.
The game was played in a fairly subdued atmosphere at the grand old lady, like so many matches in this disappointing and frustrating season. Everton made most of the early running and in truth Newcastle looked like they had come for a point from the off.
The first half soon settled into a predictable pattern with Everton enjoying the majority of possession and camped for long periods in the Magpies’ half but without really threatening at all.
The Blues play was sluggish and laboured with the usual predictable and ineffective long-balls soon in evidence again.
Once more this season Everton’s lack of craft and invention in the final third was all too evident. The Blues huffed and puffed but rarely created any clear-cut chances and for most of the half Newcastle were comfortable defensively.
The Magpies made the occasional foray into the Blues half but they looked content to defend deeply and look for a half-chance later in the game.
Yannick Bolasie and Cenk Tosun were largely anonymous and Rooney largely flattered to deceive again in the playmaker role.
Everton couldn’t break down a well organised and determined Newcastle defence and the first half duly finished goalless.
Early in the second half the Blues finally got the breakthrough. Bolasie hit a hopeful cross from the right and after the ball had pinged off a Newcastle defender, Theo Walcott took a couple of touches and then fired his shot high and hard into the roof of the net.
But instead of pushing on for more goals, Everton retreated and as so often going a goal down gave the visitors renewed impetus.
They began to threaten much more as the second half wore on and started to push forward while Everton in response began to drop deeper and give the ball away cheaply in their own half.
Now the positions were reversed with Newcastle largely in charge and Everton defending in numbers and sporadically looking to counter attack.
There were the inevitable scares as the Blues hung on to their slender and fragile lead. Newcastle also had a decent shout for a penalty late on after the ball hit Phil Jagielka on the arm.
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And deep into injury time with seconds remaining, Seamus Coleman made a crucial late clearance to preserve the win.
So Everton held onto their lead and secured a first league win in three games.
But it was another drab and deeply unconvincing victory over what is a very ordinary Newcastle United side.
The team still looks disjointed and lacking in self-confidence and too many players are continuing to display a worrying lack of form.
Next: More players Blues should look at?
I very much doubt many Evertonians will want to turn up regularly at Goodison Park for football this drab and unexciting next season.