EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB - News Archive

Everton 2-0 Leeds United

Leeds manager Terry Venables' week of misery got worse by an Everton side who stormed to a 2-0 win and their first double over Leeds for 50 years.

A second half Dave Unsworth penalty, for a foul on Tomasz Radzinski, and then a clever second from the Canadian international, reinforced Everton's drive for Europe with their third win on the trot.

Leeds fans seemed to concentrate more on their anger, rather than their team. Leeds fans abused their chairman Peter Ridsdale throughout and he was given a police escort after the game.

Everton's fans summed up the mood by singing: "You're being sold in the morning" to the deflated Leeds stars. Other chants such as "Wheres your cheque book, Wheres your cheque book", "Sell them all, sell them all, sell them all." and "Where's ya money gone, wheres ya money gone?" were aimed at the Leeds faithful.

The first chance of the game fell to Everton on eight minutes when David Unsworth fed Brian McBride on the left and when the low centre was pulled back to the edge of the box Steve Watson - who has done so well in front of goal recently - skied this one over the bar.

But Harry Kewell's pace caused constant problems. He miss-hit one long ball wide before Everton were badly exposed down the left on 11 minutes when Mark Viduka put Jason Wilcox away into space, but when the far post cross came in Kewell headed tamely into the side netting.

A 50-yard! Kewell run ended with a cross from Wilcox that reached Kewell on the right of the box, his fierce shot deflecting for a corner of Unsworth, who knew little about it. That was the best chance Leeds had of the match.

Gary Kelly stopped Brian McBride in his tracks in the six yard box, to concede a corner. Gemmil whipped in a good corner however the ball was headed out to Li Tie who set up Radzinski for a rising drive over the top of the bar.

Watson's ability to score with overhead kicks was underlined at Bolton in midweek, and on 21 minutes he almost did it again!!!. Unsworth's ball soared in from the left, McBride headed down and Watson controlled the ball on his chest and tried another spectacular effort that Paul Robinson clutched at his near post.

Everton clearly decided to increase the long stuff aimed at Radzinski and test the pace of Leeds' defence, after just three minutes of the second period a long ball from Li Tie dropped perfectly over the shoulder of Radzinski, He held off Mills but watched in anguish as his angled shot grazed the far post.

It was just a matter of time before Everton would score.

The same ploy was tried a little later, Everton got the breakthrough. It was Alan Stubbs this time to launch a 50-yard ball for Radzinski to chase again and this time Danny Mills purposely bundled him over in the box. Referee Mark Halsey gave the spot kick that Unsworth cooly lashed home from the spot on 55 minutes to give Everton the lead.

Everton should have got a second on 63 minutes when Watson squirmed his way to the line on the right and sent over a hanging cross that found Gary Naysmith unmarked six yards out, but his downward header went straight at Robinson.

Everton were out looking for a second...A neat, controlled passing move ended with Li Tie threading a pass into the path of Radzinski, Radzinski cruised confidently into the box and, with players closing on all sides, neatly clipped his shot over Robinson's diving body.

From then on there was only one winner as "sack the board" rang out from the angry Leeds section.