Everton 5-1 Hull City - REPORT

Hull City capitulated in front of the cameras despite the early promise. Atreta and co. ran riot and Phil Brown’s team were royally spanked come the end at Goodison. For City Independent, NATIONAL TIGER has the dubious honour of reporting on the catastrophic outcome against Everton… 

It was always going to be tough, always. But, you have to have a go. You have to. Barring an opening exchange that City enjoyed – and a peach of a finish from star in the making Tom Cairney, the good news was extremely skinny to report. Indeed, for the second time this season, the Tigers left Merseyside with hides firmly tanned.

Brown decided the time was right to thrust playmaker Jimmy Bullard into the fold. No qualms with that, if he fit, get him in. Bullard is comfortably our best player by some distance. Dawson picked up a bug so Kilbane returned to play his former club and Barmby was pressed into duty for a likewise situation. Zaki was the sole figure up front, meaning the price for seeing Bullard back was a return to the conservative 4-5-1 formation. Eek...

As stated already, City did start best in this game and had a great chance which fell to Garcia – who sprung the offside trap – with Everton looking to see the inactive Zaki flagged. But with the offside flag absent, the ball just wouldn’t sit down and a leaping Tim Howard in the Everton goal smothered the looped up chance the Australian offered.

That woke the hosts up and Arteta began pulling the strings in the middle of the park and holding off City’s bright opening. In general, the centre back pairing of Mouyokolo and Zayatte was too open and inviting. A player of Yakubu’s quality was always going to exploit the space and so it proved.

Next up was what should’ve been the opening goal. Yakubu spun the yawning City defence and crashed the base of the past with swept shot on the turn. It was some escape. Yet, the warning wasn’t heeded by the visitors and Everton cranked up the pressure.

Yakubu drifted wide and wasn’t tightly marked. City were about to punished. Barmby hadn’t tracked back with the influential Arteta and the Spaniard ghosted in at the far stick unchecked to steer the ball in beyond a helpless Myhill and the Tigers only had themselves to blame for a lapse in concentration.

Brown’s men looked wounded and Everton pressed for more. What followed was gift from referee Lee Mason who may as well tucked in the ball into the back of City’s net himself. An inexplicable decision to penalise Zayatte – who did brilliant to snuff out Everton danger on the byline – was ludicrously adjudged to have felled Yakubu for a penalty.

It was a howler of a decision. City staring down the gun barrel at Goodison had Yakubu ambling in to make it 2-0 from the spot but… NO! Myhill guessed right and palmed the ball away for a save, subsequently smacked away into the stand. It was a major let-off aside from a smart piece of keeping.

Then, it was Everton’s turn to be punished. Just two minutes had passed when Bullard swept in a freekick into the home box. It wasn’t cleared effectively and young Tom Cairney brought the ball under control with a chest down and a exquisite swish of the left boot that saw the ball pin-seek the bottom corner to tie up the scores. A majestic goal crafted from genuine technique.

Now level and City contemplating a squared scoreline at the interval a carving move from Everton unpicked the visiting defence. Piennar in acres of space in the box back heeled into a Arteta’s path and a slide rule pass into the corner of the net restored the one goal home advantage. Back to square one for City…

Half two and Everton tore into City. The Tigers were rocking with some swift inter-play and it took just five minutes for Toffees to double their advantage. Arteta yet again pinned the City defence onto their own goal line with a sweeping cross and Myhill failed to tap the ball over the bar and the unfortunate Garcia found himself with a ball smacking him square in the face for a luckless own goal.

City struggled to match Everton’s quality and the Toffees should’ve been 4-1 up with a three on one chance but Rodwell spooned the ball off the only defender for a corner and the chance went begging. Brown has to change it and Barmby was subbed for Geovanni shortly after. Note Everton fans’ class when singing ‘Die, die Nicky, Nicky, die”. Pathetic. Get over it, he left you to join a bigger club and to actually win things.

Back to business on the pitch, it was all Everton still. Myhill snuffing out a crashing shot from Anichebe as the pressure continued to build. Bullard was despatched and 4-4-2 came into play for Brown with Altidore joining Zaki up front. Zayatte then put a difficult headed chance over the bar. City needed more.

Vinegar came on and whether it was Everton taking their foot off the gas or City upping the game, a modicum of a foothold was taken by City. The big Dutchman could’ve won a penalty on another day when clearing having his shirt tugged in the box by Jagielka, but Mason only had eyes for the Blues in the box it seemed.

But whatever City tried, the Toffees remained in control. Just eight minutes left and sub Landon Donovan drilled a low shot into the bottom corner and it really was game over now. Rather sadly, that wasn’t the end of it. Donovan again was found in the precise same position but this time elected to feed Rodwell who crashed home from 12 yards. 5-1 and a rout on Merseyside – again – was unfolding.

Thankfully, by then, it was time to pack up and go home. Because – and let’s be frank here – if we’re staying up, it’s going to be home form that will do the trick. Arsenal next at the Circle. It should be a doddle, right? Right…

 

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