Everton passed up the chance of a relatively simple 3 points by failing to cash in their great superiority in terms of chances at home to a lacklustre Spurs.
The team, featuring Stuart Barlow getting a start in place of recalled Ferguson had the run of the ball for most of the first half - also working hard to win balls that did not fall to them. But Spurs marked tightly as the Blues worked to adjust to having a speedy partner for Rideout instead of a tall one.
Spurs were restricted to only one weak shot on target in the first half.
Early in the second half JR opted to withdraw Joe Parkinson for Anders Limpar.. a good idea because the wee swede was pumped up and very keen to stick it up the spurs.
Spurs best effort was an overhit dipping volley from Barmby early in the second half.
Later, a Spurs free kick harshly given on the edge of the box resulted in something for the papers to write about - it hit the post - but it was so far off target that the new trajectory took it into the side netting.
The Sunday broadsheet I read also failed to mention the last twenty minutes, when Spurs woke up and started to create dangerous enough buildups that Nev had to put his book away.. yet at the other end, Everton produced three near misses which should have given them the game.
Hinchcliffe was allowed so much space & time that he got to the 'D' unchallenged and beat Walker with a low shot, but the famous Hinchcliffe curve also took the ball past the post.
A candidate for goal of the season also flashed past the post. A high ball was headed on & high by Barlow from the 'D', found Rideout unmarked and perfectly balanced for a diagonal rocket volley.
The third came from a Hinchcliffe free kick close to the Gwladys/Bullens corner flag.. the header was glanced, but too finely and the post was shaved again.
Spurs most cunning tactic (deliberate?) was to concede as few corners as possible. Everton only had about 3 all game. One forced IW to tip over.
Clean sheets, club records, unbeaten runs.... but still in relegation position and not producing open field goals!
Ref K Cooper was very fussy about climbing headers & pushes in the back. How come we never get refs like him when we play push & shove scum such as Pallister & Bruce?!?
Only two bookings - both for Spurs players. The papers' accusations of Everton 'wrestling unattractively to survive' are lame.
Z cars (original version) is back.
All 3 fanzines we on sale; WSAG, Speke from the Harbour and Gwladys sings the Blues. Add a copy of 'The Evertonian' and a match program.. you need a box file to carry everything in nowadays :-}
The Gwladys spotties gave Ian Walker 'E-I-Addio, Your daddy's on the dole'. Ian was cool about this, waved, and applauded them at the end of the game.
