Chris Wood heads Burnley to victory as Sam Allardyce's Everton misery deepens
Burnley 2 Everton 1: The hosts hit two second-half goals to overhaul the Toffees' lead and secure three points for the first time since December of last year
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Your support makes all the difference.Everton’s season continues to get more forgettable by the week, as Sam Allardyce’s despair grows ever deeper.
A sixth successive away defeat had visiting supporters calling for his sacking long before the end; whatever the long-term future holds at Goodison Park, it seems implausible that it could involve the former England manager.
His team looked set for a rare away win at half-time thanks to Cenk Tosun’s first goal for the club, but those hopes disappeared amid defensive indiscipline and bemusing substitutions.
Former Burnley defender Michael Keane was caught on his heels as Ashley Barnes raced in behind him to equalise, and was then outjumped as Chris Wood, making his return after more than two months out with a knee injury, lost Ashley Williams to head the winner from a Johann Gudmundsson corner.
If it was a gloomy day for Keane, it was even worse for Williams, sent off in the final five minutes for swinging an elbow at Barnes as the visitors chased an equaliser from a free-kick.
There was relief at Turf Moor, though; this was Burnley’s first victory in 13 matches, and the first time they had come from behind to win a Premier League game under Sean Dyche’s management.
As Allardyce’s side fell to defeat, he was barracked by the away supporters over a couple of ineffective substitutions, with Wayne Rooney and Oumar Niasse failing to make an impact after coming on, and the lively Tosun bafflingly withdrawn.
The one bright spot for Everton in defeat was the performance of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who played well as defensive uncertainty unfolded in front of him, and is a serious contender to feature in the friendlies against Holland and Italy later this month.
Pickford made one decent first-half save to prevent Ashley Barnes from glancing in Matt Lowton’s cross at the near post, and then two excellent stops shortly after half-time: turning the ball aside from Aaron Lennon’s first-time shot after Gudmundsson’s cross had flicked off the head of Williams and then, from the Iceland midfielder’s corner, thrusting up an arm to stop Mee’s near-post header.
Later on, he was off his line quickly to block as Lowton played Barnes in behind the Everton defence once more.
Everton had led at half-time, without looking all that convincing, although their goal was well-worked. Theo Walcott, receiving the ball on the right from Gylfi Sigurdsson, delivered a cross that was flicked on by Seamus Coleman for Tosun to guide a low header beyond Nick Pope.
Both sides had other chances in an open first 45 minutes. Theo Walcott was unable to take three good ones for Everton; he skied Sigurdsson’s cut-back before Tosun’s goal, bobbled a tame finish into the arms of Pope after taking on the Turkey international’s crossfield pass, and then failed to beat the goalkeeper from a tight angle after James Tarkowski’s slip left him clear inside the penalty area.
While Walcott is still rebuilding his confidence after a long spell in the wilderness at Arsenal, Burnley have struggled to find a cutting edge in recent weeks. Barnes was hesitant when Ward’s long ball caught Keane out of position, and allowed the defender to recover and block. The visitors’ biggest let-off before the interval involved a former Evertonian; Lennon, left free at the far post from a Johann Gudmundsson free-kick, seemed unsure whether to attempt a half-volley or slide the ball back across goal. The ball bounced off his foot, and Ben Mee, well-placed inside the six-yard box, was unable to sort out his feet before Pickford gathered.
At that stage, Allardyce might have been hopeful. Sadly for him, it all went downhill from there.
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