EFC1 Brum 1 Reaction - Still unbeaten...just

By Chris Kirwan
August 29 2002

David Moyes said after victory against Sunderland that “fortune favours the brave” and Everton certainly had a great slice of fortune in maintaining their unbeaten start to the season against Birmingham.

An injury time David Unsworth shot was deflected onto the post and rebounded in off Kenny Cunningham to grab an unlikely point for the Blues. This all came in a frantic ending after Birmingham had taken the lead courtesy of a Stern John penalty following a professional foul on John that saw Alan Stubbs dismissed.

It was a game that most of us would have expected Everton to win, especially after 3 points at the Stadium of light, and quite frankly you need to win such games if you are to stay well clear of a relegation battle. It was a spirited comeback to grab a point, but yet again the Blues struggled to convince versus lower opposition, similar to Leicester and Ipswich last year. And Moyes himself reflected that it was two points lost, saying, “With 10 men for so long and with a goal that late you've got to be thankful, but I think when I've calmed down and reflected on the game I'll be disappointed we never won. It was thoroughly deserved and I would have said that even if we hadn't pulled a goal back at the end. Even so I still feel it was two points dropped.”

But whether or not it was two points lost it was once encouraging to once again see evidence of an excellent team spirit. It’s good to see us being the benefactors of late goals and not the aggrieved as we were at the Reebok Stadium last year. It’s a sign that hopes and expectations are rising at Goodison when there is disappointment at a solitary point, even when down to ten men.

With the transfer deadline looming the lack of creativity in the midfield is still great cause for concern. When the Blues come up against workmanlike teams the midfield struggles to impose itself on the game and create chance. This makes the decision of playing the 4-3-3 formation puzzling at times, it’s all well and good attempting to accommodate strikers but there is little point if chances are not created. The financial constraints make it unlikely for any new faces to be seen at Goodison unless Moyes can work another loan deal. I certainly hope that if Colin Healy is available we can find a way of luring him to Goodison. He has been heavily linked with the move and as he has already shown for Eire that he can create chances, and was unlucky to miss out on the World Cup with Lee Carsley somehow managing to edge him out. I expect that the deadline will come and go without much happening, and I for one will miss the constant rumours throughout the season.