EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB - News Archive

Charlton 2-1 Everton

From The Offical EFC Site

Everton’s three match winning run is over after Charlton Athletic chalked up a 2-1 victory at The Valley.

It was a fine match with no shortage of incident, but Kevin Lisbie’s 83rd minute goal proved to be the winner after Brian McBride, with his 4th goal in five games, had levelled Radostin Kishishev’s opener.

Steve Watson’s bruised heel prevented him from taking part so David Moyes recalled Thomas Gravesen to the starting line-up, with Wayne Rooney back from suspension to replace the Dane on the bench.

There was certainly more interest than usual centred around that bench with a plethora of photographers snapping away in the face of the 17-year old – ironically just as Sven Goran Eriksson was introduced to the crowd.

Despite the home side kicking-off, Everton won a corner with just 15 seconds on the clock!

Gravesen took it but the Charlton defence cleared the danger and from the breakaway Shaun Bartlett should have scored when he was through on goal but he lofted the ball over Richard Wright and harmlessly wide.

Central defender Richard Rufus then fired the ball over the bar in the 4th minute, as the frantic start continued.

Everton almost snatched the lead in the 8th minute from a most unlikely source when Alessandro Pistone’s flicked header needed a fine diving save from Dean Kiely.

Li Tie incurred the wrath of Jeff Winter just moments after when he upended Kevin Lisbie and was promptly yellow-carded.

The 14th minute provided the next attempt on goal when Charlton right-back Radostin Kishishev’s somewhat over-ambitious long range drive failed to trouble Wright.

Neither did Bartlett’s curling effort that the Blues keeper comfortably gathered.

However, KISHISHEV did break through in the 19th minute when he steered home the rebound after Wright had saved well from Bartlett. The Everton defence appealed furiously for offside but neither Winter nor his assistant were interested.

Everton were all at sea as The Addicks pressed again and Wright had to be at his most agile best to tip over a clever effort from Claus Jensen.

A nice Everton move in the 26th minute ended when Rufus headed the ball over his own bar and right off the head of the waiting Brian McBride. The corner was cleared but Everton won another within a minute and when Gravesen fed the ball to Gemmill, the Scot blasted it wide. His claim that the effort took a defensive deflection fell, again, on deaf ears.

Everton looked much more positive at this stage and Tomasz Radzinski collected a pass from Gravesen only to be denied by the alert Dean Kiely.

Charlton themselves should then have scored again.

England hopeful Scott Parker suddenly found himself clean through on goal but Wright again made a fabulous save that will have impressed the watching England manager.

The home side marked the half hour stage with yet another attempt on goal but this time Wright was content to watch a Lisbie shot drift wide.

An excellent dribble by Li Tie ended when he was brought down right on the edge of the box. Gravesen squared the free-kick to Gemmill, who stopped it for Alan Stubbs whose drive was deflected wide for another corner.

Stubbs collided with Parker as he struck the ball and, sadly, he failed to recover and was stretchered off the field, clearly in immense discomfort.

It took the medical team a long time to ease Stubbs onto the stretcher and he left the arena with his right leg very heavily strapped up.

Joseph Yobo was introduced as his replacement.

Apart from that sad ending, the opening 45 minutes had been a smashing spectacle for the neutral observers but it was the Londoners that were happier at the break.

Half-Time: Charlton Athletic 1, Everton 0

The first effort of the second period came Everton’s way, but Radzinski was unable to get sufficient purchase on his shot on the turn and the ball bobbled off target.

McBride did far better when his header from an excellent cross by Gravesen was well saved on the goal-line by Kiely.

The second half was proving to be an altogether more scrappy affair with both sides unable to find the fluency that had provided the first half with so many goalscoring opportunities.

Indeed, it was in the 67th minute that Charlton first tested Wright since the restart – Mark Fish’s rising shot causing the visiting fans behind the goal more trouble than Wright!

Those same fans were delirious two minutes later when BRIAN McBRIDE pulled Everton level.

Li Tie made another penetrating run into the heart of the home defence and when the ball landed at the feet of the American striker, he made no mistake from ten yards.

Another fine passing move almost resulted in a second Everton goal but the sat up awkwardly for Naysmith and his final effort was too high.

The game was flowing well enough now and only some heroic defending from Unsworth denied Charlton a goal of their own. The ball spun dangerously towards the goal as Jason Euell clipped it forward but Unsworth seemed to grow an extra few inches to head it to safety.

Then it was Wright’s turn to come to the rescue again when substitute Jonatan Johansson broke free on the right and rifled in an angled shot that the Toffees’ keeper turned around the post.

On 83 minutes though, he could do nothing to prevent Charlton regaining the lead.

After a penalty area scramble the ball richocheted off Li Tie and KEVIN LISBIE took full advantage by sliding a low shot under Wright and into the net.

That was the signal for the introduction of Wayne Rooney as a replacement for David Unsworth, but it was McBride who came close when his shot on the turn whistled past Kiely’s post.

Everton actually ended the game with four strikers on the pitch following the 88th minute introduction of Kevin Campbell for Scott Gemmill.

There was almost a headline-making, stoppage time leveller for Everton, but Rooney’s fierce drive was inches too high.

Final Score: Charlton Athletic 2, Everton 1