| EVERTON | 1-3 | SHEFF WEDS | 
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| Ferguson 72 | Pembridge 5, 40 | |||
| Di Canio 90 | ||||
| Booth sent off 82 |
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| EVERTON | 1-3 | SHEFF WEDS |
|
| Ferguson 72 | Pembridge 5, 40 | |||
| Di Canio 90 | ||||
| Booth sent off 82 |
 | ||||
Substitutes: | ||||
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for 12 for 26 for 23 | ||||
Venue: - Goodison Park, Liverpool
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Attendance: - 35,497
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Match Reports:
Report due soon - Guy McEvoy
We were simply mediocre - Jenny Roberts
Report due soon - Richard Marland
Terrible, Travesty, Tragedy - Martin O'Boyle
Kendall remains defiant - Sporting Life
by Jenny Roberts We were simply mediocre I really wish that I could begin to alleviate the gloom, to restore optimism. I know that I cannot, so I will try to make this as painless as possible.
I have lost count of the times that I have written this, but the Sheffield game would guarantee us Premier league football for next season. Although we were without O'Kane, I was nevertheless very optimistic as I approached Goodison.
The day of the yellow ball could have marked the beginning of an exciting new era for Everton Football Club's home form, but it did not. The ball, which was actually quite a dull yellow, was very difficult to see, as it often blended in with the grass. However, I am by no means blaming a pathetic performance on a ball.
As soon as the referee blew his whistle for kick-off, my fears of another Villa-like performance vanished. The team, which, on paper, looked very strong, began promisingly.
However, in about the sixth minute, Wednesday's Di Canio ran down the right wing with Carl Tiler chasing him. The fans had no real worries, as Tiler is a pretty good tackler, and would certainly not let Di Canio get past him. Alas, he was sent the wrong way, and the cross met with Pembridge. The team shook their heads, and the fans cried out with disbelief.
Surely we would fight back with admirable spirit to claim all three points? After all, only six minutes had been played. The players were aware of the table situation, weren't they?
It seemed at times that Sheffield were the home side. Everton desperately missed a Watson or a Parkinson to dictate the defence or midfield. It was a miracle that we conceded no more goals during the next 30 minutes. We were simply mediocre. Even Ball looked hesitant, a shadow of his formerly assured self. Tiler was having an absolute nightmare, as was Allen.
The 41st minute arrived. Everyone else around me stood up to watch Wednesday's attack. I knew what was coming, and remained seated. I did not want to watch my beloved team's further humiliation.
Half-time brought even more anguish. The scores were terrible, and few were beneficial.
For most of the second half, Everton looked uninterested. Suddenly, they began to realize that by scoring two goals, they could actually claim a valuable point. We began to mount various attacks, bombarding the Wednesday area with crosses. I watched the scoreboard intensely, and, as each second disappeared, grew even more desperate. Finally, a superb cross was delivered to Ferguson's head, and we were back with a chance of a point. With still about twenty minutes left, a point was a possibility.
Still we continued to attack, still Pressman continued to claim each cross, still we continued to make glaring misses.
On a rare Wednesday attack, it looked as though we were about to concede another. However, Myhre spread himself superbly to block the shot. He injured himself in doing so, and spent several minutes lying in his goal, much to the ignorance of the referee.
Eventually, another Everton attack was intercepted, and Di Canio broke away from an absent Everton defence. The ailing Myhre, unprotected by his team, tried to stop him, but he rounded Thomas with ease, and tortured us cruelly and slowly by dribbling the ball into the goal.
Many left the ground at the third goal. The game was dead, and the passion of the crowd and team seemed equally dead. However, that team has got to keep us up, which is why I remained. How can they even begin to fight the debilitating disease commonly known as relegation if they do not have our support?
Toffeenetters going to Arsenal: Roar our Blue Boys to the unlikeliest victory of the season.
But whatever you do, don't criticize them, don't remind them of the task ahead of them. Just support them.
We all know what is at stake.
by Martin O'Boyle Howard's Heroes Terrible, Travesty, Tragedy...all words beginning with 'T' to sum up our performance. You may be asking "What the bloody hell is he on about?" I don't even know myself. I couldn't even bear to write this match report until now.
God alone knows what my friend, Ste thought of the performance.
Hoping to make him a 'Goodison addict' I brought him to this game in the hope that his life would be changed. I wanted him to give him the Everton experience. I don't think he was too convinced. He didn't understand why I was nearly crying when Tiler missed from two yards. He didn't understand why I put my arm around the shoulders of a virtual stranger and danced when Duncan scored. He didn't understand why I didn't speak to him on the way home.
It just goes to show that these 'prediction tables', 'spreadsheets' and 'informed guesswork' done by several tabloids and fans are a load of nonsense. Not even the most pessimistic Everton fan could have foretold what was going to happen today.
The 'yellow peril' or the `Mitre Ultimax Fluo Flare ball' was being used. Myhre had to pick it out of his net three times. It doesn't matter if we could see it better or worse (as the case may have been). We were beaten, convincingly so. With two games left to play we have to get the points. We must not rely on Bolton slipping up.
Arriving at the ground half an hour before kick-off I was surprised to learn that we were playing with three centre backs. We needed to win, yet we were playing with a defensive formation. Yet: "Howard knows best" I was saying to myself. I was thinking happily: "Oh well, they've got Stefanovic, Carbone and Barrett suspended...we've got Barmby back....It's a game we can't afford to lose!"
We did...and the name of a certain Italian sporting white boots never crossed my mind for a second. He ended up by running the show.
In the opening few minutes we looked terribly nervous, the youngsters Allen and McCann apparently scared out of their wits. To be honest I would be if I had a number of Evertonians shouting: "You'll never make it you lazy......" or "You're c**p. That is f'ing useless! You are f'ing useless, kid!" Shouldn't we be getting behind our team in their hour of need rather than lambasting their every effort that goes wrong? We should, IMHO, be using every ounce of our vocal capabilities to support them, after all that is what we supposedly are: Supporters of Everton Football Club.
Then the unthinkable happened. A long clearance from Pressman found Di Canio, who was allowed to control the ball and shape himself to cross. He weighted in the perfect cross which found the unmarked Mark Pembridge who headed home. Short should have been marking him. He wasn't.
The goal as you can imagine prompted scenes of jubilation from the Sheffield Wednesday supporters.
"Someone ought to shut them up." Ste said to me.
"It's up to us to do that." I replied.
With the confidence of an early goal behind them, Wednesday were brimming with confidence; Di Canio especially benefitting. He was in his element and he was a joy to watch, if you were a Sheffield Wednesday supporter.
We were being totally dominated in midfield. That was the root of the problem.
Ferguson seemed to be our only attacking option but 9 out of the 10 crosses aimed for him from Madar, Hutchison and Barmby were too high for him. With no-one following up on the far post these opportunities were wasted.
We did create good chances. Madar fired across goal from six yards and the with nine minutes to go to half time only an excellent save by Pressman denied Allen of his first Premiership goal. However, before half time Sheffield Wednesday added to their lead.
After a foul on Pembridge by Short, Wednesday took the free-kick which was only half-cleared by Bilic...straight to Pembridge who blasted a shot which was going wide, until it took a deflection off Hutchison and it ended up in the net. Two-nil down at half-time.
The whistle was met with a few boos and an argument immediately behind me. One man was blaming Johnson for the club's predicament, the other blaming Kendall; his buys and his tactics. It was sad to watch them. Ste returned from buying his sausage roll, took one bite of it and declared:
"This is not very nice."
He hadn't commented on the match, so I said:
"The game or the sausage roll."
"Both."
However, I think it was the snack which bothered him the most. He'll never make it! The young Scotsman signed by Ray Hall for the Youth Squad, who was paraded to the crowd before kick-off (I didn't catch his name but it wasn't Cleland) was probably wondering what on earth he was letting himself in for.
Kendall substituted Allen and Short for Beagrie and Oster at half-time hoping for some inspiration. By then it was two late. However, I thought back to 1966...we were 2-0 down then. We can still do it! Poor misguided child that I am. Then we had stars like Wilson, Labone, Harvey, Temple. We were relying on an 18 year old and a thirty-something to turn the game around.
Not that I'm getting at 18 year old's. Michael Ball (my MOTM) was again superb. What a talent! He probably covered every blade of grass on the park and was often moving over to the right hand side to mop up the errors that the central defenders had made. Bilic too was good. Tiler, well read on...
Ferguson's knock down in the penalty area found Madar who scuffed his shot but this came gloriously to Tiler. With the keeper stranded and only a smattering of defenders on the line all Tiler had to do was to put the ball on target, like Farrelly last week. He blasted the ball over the bar. Tiler redeemed himself by some superb defending after the miss but any glimpse of hope I may have had of us getting a point from the game disappeared after that chance was missed. Even when Ferguson scored I knew that it was too little, too late.
Again he scored with a header, again at the Gwladys Street End. Bilic providing the cross for him to nod home. Barmby carried the ball out of the net and ran to the penalty area. It was one of the few constructive things he did all afternoon.
A sense of urgency finally gripped Everton, though Sheffield Wednesday always looked dangerous on the counter attack. After the flag had gone up for offside, Andy Booth (who had already been booked) shot past Myhre. The referee showed him another yellow, then the red. It was a stupid sending off.
Would we take the advantage??? No. Instead Myhre had to pull off a world class save. He came out of his area to narrow Di Canio's angle. Di Canio powered a shot which hit him straight in the groin. Ouch. This prompted a sharp intake of breath from the male Evertonians around me and laughter from the females. The sight of him hopping around would have brought a tear to a glass eye.
Having committed too many men forward, Di Canio picked up the loose ball and went on the counter attack only having McCann and Ball to beat, did so, went round Myhre and passed the ball into the net. He was basically taking the Mickey. 3-1 or 1-3 whatever way that you want to look at it. It's still the same.
I don't need to tell you who were playing next. I don't need to tell you who Bolton are playing next. We already know. We know what we have to do. Whether we will do it is another matter. Let us pray that we will. Let's get behind them.
BTW. I don't think Ste will be first in the queue to buy a season ticket next season.
Sporting Life Kendall remains defiant Everton were left still needing four points from their final two matches - away to Arsenal and home to Coventry - to save themselves from the drop after a 3-1 home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.
But manager Howard Kendall said: "We are feeling low but we are not feeling down. I can't fault my lads' effort out there but maybe our organisation was not good
"There were a lot of young kids out there who needed direction but there wasn't much of that going on.
"People expected us to win but we saw a special talent in Paulo Di Canio who was outstanding.
"It is still in our own hands and I believe we can get something at Arsenal in our next match. We just cannot rely on other people to save us it has to be down to our own efforts. There is no bigger challenge than going to Arsenal in the current climate but we must remain upbeat about things and believe we can do it."
Sheffield Wednesday boss Ron Atkinson hailed the performance that finally saved the Yorkshire club from relegation as "magnificent".
But after the 3-1 win he was upset by the one blackspot on his side's day when Andy Booth was sent off for two bookable offences in the second half.
Booth, booked earlier for a foul, was dismissed by referee Graham Barber when he lashed home a shot after the whistle had gone for offside.
Atkinson said: "The lad says he didn't hear the whistle. It was a one-on-one situation and there was a lot of noise. The referee had performed very well until that point but maybe he could have been a little more lenient.
"But the overall performance was first class. At the back Des Walker and Peter Atherton were outstanding, we were so solid and it has lifted the final worries from our shoulders."
Premiership Results 25 Apr 1998:
ASTON VILLA 1-3 BOLTON WANDERERS BARNSLEY 0-2 ARSENAL BLACKBURN R 0-0 WIMBLEDON CHELSEA 4-1 LIVERPOOL EVERTON 1-3 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY LEEDS UNITED 3-3 COVENTRY CITY TOTTENHAM 2-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED WEST HAM UTD 2-4 SOUTHAMPTONPremiership Table 26 April 1998:
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts Arsenal 34 21 9 4 63 28 35 72 Manchester United 35 20 8 7 65 26 39 68 Chelsea 35 19 3 13 68 39 29 60 Liverpool 35 16 11 8 59 41 18 59 Leeds United 36 17 7 12 56 42 14 58 Blackburn Rovers 35 14 10 11 55 50 5 52 West Ham United 35 15 7 13 49 46 3 52 Aston Villa 36 15 6 15 45 47 -2 51 Leicester City 35 12 13 10 47 37 10 49 Derby County 35 14 7 14 49 48 1 49 Coventry City 35 11 14 10 43 43 0 47 Southampton 36 14 5 17 49 52 -3 47 Sheffield Wednesday 36 12 8 16 51 63 -12 44 Wimbledon 35 10 12 13 31 39 -8 42 Newcastle United 35 10 10 15 32 42 -10 40 Tottenham Hotspur 36 10 10 16 37 53 -16 40 Everton 36 9 12 15 40 51 -11 39 Bolton Wanderers 36 8 13 15 36 57 -21 37 Barnsley 36 10 5 21 37 79 -42 35 Crystal Palace 34 7 8 19 31 60 -29 29Results and Tables supplied by Lawrence "Leagueman" Breakey, used by kind permission.