Premier League - Baines gives Everton late win

Eurosport - Sun, 30 Aug 20:39:00 2009

Leighton Baines scored an injury time penalty to give Everton a 2-1 win over Wigan at Goodison Park, for their first Premier League victory of the season.

FOOTBALL Leighton Baines scores the winning penalty in Everton's 2-1 win over Wigan - 0

The Toffees had trailed through Paul Scharner's 57th-minute goal, but Louis Saha levelled five minutes later before Emerson Boyce tripped Marouane Fellaini in the area, allowing Baines (pictured scoring) to claim three points that took Everton out of the bottom three.

The first half was a slug fest, not helped by a robust approach from Wigan that saw them concede 17 fouls and four bookings.

Mario Melchiot was particularly lucky to stay on the pitch after a terrible tackle from behind on Steven Pienaar, but he was let off with a yellow card.

Despite being on the wrong end of a kicking, the Toffees did manage to create several good chances, two of which came just after the quarter-hour mark.

After good work from Tim Cahill on the left, Saha was denied a free strike on goal by a Titus Bramble intervention, with the ball spinning just wide.

From the resulting corner, Jack Rodwell had a rising drive tipped away by Mike Pollitt, who remained in goal despite conceding four against Blackpool in the Carling Cup due to an injury to Chris Kirkland.

Wigan had a rare opportunity when Scharner headed a corner towards goal but Cahill blocked in front of the line, but normal service was resumed as Pollitt made a good stop when Cahill found Saha with a low cross; whilea great ball from Baines evaded Wigan's defence but was not complimented by a run from an Everton player.

The second half was more even and more entertaining.

Pollitt made a vital intervention when Tony Hibbert swung over an inviting cross that Rodwell was ready to head home, while Cahill and Osman failed to convert a good ball from Baines.

Wigan were more positive too, playing the ball on the ground, and they came close to taking the lead when Rodallega saw a shot deflected wide.

Charles N'Zogbia had a shot deflected wide from that corner, while for Everton, Saha went down the other end and shot wide.

The Latics then took the lead and it was poor defending from Joseph Yobo and new signing Sylvain Distin that allowed Scharner to steal in at the far post while the Everton defenders stood and stared.

Scharner stooped to head N'Zogbia's cross into the ground and the roof of the net, and Wigan then almost made it 2-0 when Melchiot freed Jordi Gomez but the Spaniard's low finish came off the post and went wide.

Everton levelled soon afterwards. A corner on the right was swung in by the excellent Baines and Saha rose to power the header past the stranded Pollitt.

That equaliser gave Everton some renewed confidence and they pressed for a winner, with Hendry Thomas heading off the line as Saha waited to convert a Yobo flick-on.

Cahill headed wide from a position he would be expected to score from after Hibbert's cross, while Rodwell blasted the ball over when the ball broke to him after substitute Jo's finish was blocked by Pollitt.

A frantic final three minutes saw Wigan sub Scott Sinclair fire against Howard when played clean through by N'Zogbia, while fellow sub Cho Won-Hee miscontrolled after another perfect pass from the former Newcastle winger, who was drifting from right to left and through the middle.

But Everton had the final word when Boyce clumsily bundled down Fellaini.

His, and Wigan's, protests at the time and after the final whistle were unjustified - it was a clear foul - and Baines made no mistake with the finish, playing it down the middle as Pollitt dived to the left.

Everton now rise above Wigan on the head-to-head rule, having played a game less, with both just clear of the bottom three in 16th and 17th.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 6 - 25 of 25

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  1. In Moyes we trust.........Always

    From phil, on Mon 31 Aug 12:14PM

  2. Everton will be placed 4th this season, replacing­ Liverpool in that Big 4 hierachy

    From okparajerry, on Mon 31 Aug 6:08AM

  3. Trivia Bonus Question..

    Is Carlo Ancelotti,Harry­ Redknapp,Martin­­ O'Neil,David Moyes & damn it­ even Gianfranco­­ Zola a better manager than that Fat­ Spanish­­­ P***K??..i would say YES!!!...
    he is rather­­ S***E!!!!!!...

    From Those Rats likes Bin dippin for free Cheeseburger, on Mon 31 Aug 3:06AM

  4. You do not always need stars to produce a great side.­ However, you do need players who can do the basics­ well, ie. pass well, defend robustly, kick straight and­ hard but above all you need players who are consistent­ and play their hearts out for the team. Everton are not­ far from being a good side but we need to consolidate­ ourselves in defence and hopefully when Jagielka­ returns he and Distin will prove to be a good­ partnership. I know that Tony Hibbert has plenty of­ guts and is an Evertonian, through and through, but he­ lacks class and we do need a better player in that­ position. Above all we need a strong midfielder to boss­ the middle of the park and provide that drive that is­ required. I only hope that we have sufficient cover up­ front to provide the goals. I agree with David Moyes­ that Everton needs to invest in the players he requires­ if we are to progress.

    From WILLIAM, on Sun 30 Aug 9:23PM

  5. Having been on the dark side at the start of the season­ before We are playing some good football with key­ players missing i have no doubt we will be up there­ come end of season

    From suttonbluecat, on Sun 30 Aug 9:05PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    you everton fans dont relise but when Fergie retires we­ havin your manager lol UTD til i die!!

    From Tom M, on Sun 30 Aug 8:35PM

  7. For the record if Moyes thinks Heitinga is good enough­ then I trust his judgment. I just feel there are better­ alternatives out there.

    From The Xentertainer, on Sun 30 Aug 8:30PM

  8. I think you'll find Jo was fouled and Wigan­ conceded the penalty. Jo didn't win it. Eduardo­ 'wins' penalties. That's the difference!­ Good result and the kick start we needed. I am unhappy­ we're signing Heitinga though. I think either Ryan­ or Steven Taylor would have been better value. And the­ Banega deal looks doubtful. Shame, because I watched­ him against Villareal tonight and he looks a real­ quality player. And as for Bentley being valued at­ £10million...sign Veloso or Defour with the cash. I­ can't see what you see in Bentley for that type of­ money. If I were Moyes and armed with £15million­ I'd either sign...

    Ryan Taylor £4million
    Stephane­ Defour/Miguel Veloso £11million

    or.....

    Steven­ Taylor and Kevin Nolan £10million
    Joe Ledley­ £3million
    Ever Banega On Loan (but pay £1million to get­ him on loan)

    From The Xentertainer, on Sun 30 Aug 8:28PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    They are both really sh**e

    From Phil, on Sun 30 Aug 7:56PM

  10. Marky - I have two things to say to you. Firstly, you­ clearly don't know what you're talking about re­ Moyes. He's proved himself again and again, not­ least by getting Everton into the top four, finishing­ 5th two years running and an FA Cup final to boot.­ He's doing a brilliant job! Secondly,­ 'Sunaday', 'Palyers', 'Pionts',­ 'agianst'. I recommend you go back to school­ cocker!

    From Oliver, on Sun 30 Aug 7:43PM

  11. gazza you having a laugh you may have won 5-1 v who a­ junior sunaday lg side as for 3 pionts behind us and­ you will get two more palyers in b4 tuesday and we got­ a lucky win agianst bolton away you in dream land and­ as for you saying your fans need to get behind you its­ to quite @#$% behave moyes as a man manager is just as­ poor as our rafa and he is a bad manger full stop­ everton under moyes will just as poor as us under rafa­ both negitive

    From marky, on Sun 30 Aug 6:59PM

  12. the gunners fought like lions ,im proud

    From fortune, on Sun 30 Aug 6:53PM

  13. good win for everton today, we dominated but didnt make­ it count in the first half, conceded a sloppy goal but­ remained strong and really pressurised till we got out­ reward!

    COYB!

    and guys Jo won the penalty not­ Felliani....

    From Darkmessiah, on Sun 30 Aug 6:52PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I THINK EVERTON WILL LOOK GOOD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

    From rawest1, on Sun 30 Aug 6:48PM

  15. Good teams play to the final whistle: number of league­ championships have turned on last minute goals.
    I must­ say I'm disappointed that Wigan felt they had to­ kick Everton off the pitch.

    From ALAN G, on Sun 30 Aug 6:35PM

  16. listen to gazza you know he is right comment 10

    From TERENCE E, on Sun 30 Aug 6:16PM

  17. Why do Everton fans always look on the bleak side? ­ Come on get behind our team we have progressed in­ Europe with a 5-1 aggregate and have some nice games­ coming up against class teams :)

    We have a game in­ hand on most clubs and are just 3 points behind the­ redshite who had a lucky win against Bolton and they­ are 7th.

    We will get two more players before Tuesday­ to spend the 24 million of City and will have money in­ January if needed to strengthen the team. With new­ recruits, the talented youngsters, players we have and­ long term injuries coming back we have a squald to­ compete ...... Jags, Yak and Arteta are all quality and­ would get in most Premiership teams, they are a big­ miss .........

    Get behind the blues, Goodison is too­ quiet we need to cheer the boys on and make Goodison a­ fortress not a morgue ..........

    From Gazza, on Sun 30 Aug 6:03PM

  18. wigan need to stick to rugby league. going down.­ hahahaha

    From gooduz, on Sun 30 Aug 5:24PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Lucky win by Everton

    From Sean, on Sun 30 Aug 5:24PM

  20. If we had been beaten today by Wigan the rest of the­ season would have been extremely bleak. As it is we­ should have shown nough resolve to have seen Wigan off­ with ease and it emphasises how much Everton need to­ improve if we are rise further in the league. We must­ start winning consistently and I hope that David Moyes­ is provided with sufficient funds to provide the­ resources to acquire another defender who can cover­ right back and centre half and a really skilful­ midfielder who can control play in the middle of the­ park and help to provide the penetration we require to­ feed our strikers.

    From WILLIAM, on Sun 30 Aug 5:17PM
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