Football: Everton need the power play

Everton. . . . .0

Wimbledon. . . .0

THESE TWO CLUBS are poles apart in resources, style and league placings, but you would hardly have known it from this match. If Everton are to fulfil their Championship aspirations, they will have to learn how to overcome physically powerful teams like Wimbledon.

'We know how they play and you have to adapt,' Everton's manager Howard Kendall said. 'I don't think we got hold of the ball or caused their defence as many problems as we would have liked.'

Kendall has spent pounds 6.5m to assemble his side but Wimbledon have to sell to survive and their manager, Joe Kinnear, will use the proceeds from selling Terry Phelan to Manchester City to pay debts. 'I'm not in a position to spend,' he said. 'So we have to soldier on and I'm well pleased with our lads, especially the back four.'

But while Wimbledon can be satisfied with the point, their style and a slippery surface did nothing to please the Goodison crowd. The opening 20 minutes were disjointed and scrappy with a succession of robust challenges by Dean Blackwell, Gerald Dobbs and Steve Anthrobus, who was booked for a foul on Mark Ward.

Inevitably, it was Peter Beardsley who finally injected some skill into the game. Picking up a flick-on from Paul Rideout just outside the box, he slipped the ball through to an unmarked Robert Warzycha who should have done better than crash the ball against the bar. 'We were disappointed that such a clear opportunity wasn't put away,' Kendall said.

It seemed that the visitors, however, were temporarily inspired. Anthrobus broke down the left and sent over a cross to Robbie Earle who, with Neville Southall stranded at the near post, was tantalisingly close to making contact.

As half-time approached, Earle had another opening when Dean Holdsworth and Paul Miller combined in the box to create space for him. On this occasion, there was no doubt that he had connected as the ball sailed over the bar.

Any thoughts that Wimbledon had changed their ways were dispelled immediately after the interval when Brian McAllister scythed Warzycha to the floor. The game reverted to a shapeless affair with the thud of tackles making more noise than the crowd.

One bright spot was the performance on the left of Peter Beagrie, brought on at half-time. He can usually be relied on to produce something different. His first contribution was a corner which hit the near post and rebounded to a surprised Dave Watson who shot wide. In the 63rd minute, Kendall replaced Rideout who had been stifled by Blackwell with Mo Johnston, who scored in midweek against Aston Villa. The change gave Everton a more mobile look in attack, and it was a wide run by Johnston that created space for John Ebbrell. Running on to a Beardsley pass, he had time to pick his spot but produced a shot that lacked the power to trouble Hans Segers.

That failure was greeted by boos but Ebbrell's worst moment was to come when he should have scored from a Beagrie cross. Undecided about whether to meet the ball with his head or foot, Ebbrell sank to his knees as if he were hoping for inspiration from heaven.

Everton's club motto is: 'Nothing is enough unless it is the best.' This was not their best.

Everton: N Southall; A Harper, A Hinchcliffe, J Ebbrell, D Watson, G Ablett, R Warzycha, P Beardsley, T Rideout (M Johnston, 63 min), B Horne, M Ward (P Beagrie, 46 min). Substitute not used: J Kearton (gk). Manager: H Kendall.

Wimbledon: H Segers; P Miller, B McAllister, W Barton, D Blackwell, S Fitzgerald, G Dodds (A Clarke 70 min), R Earle, D Holdsworth, L Sanchez, S Anthrobus. Substitutes not used: R Joseph, N Sullivan (gk). Manager: J Kinnear.

Referee: H King (Merthyr Tydfll).