The
strikier, now 33 but showing no signs of losing his killer instincts,
boasts some of Europe’s top clubs on his CV. And his class ultimately
proved to be the difference at Turf Moor as Everton left their hosts
still searching for their first Premier League win of the season.
The home side huffed and puffed and showed plenty of spirit, but a lack
of genuine quality at both ends of the pitch continues to cost them.
Quality like that possseed by Eto’o.
And that was evident as early as the third minute when the visitors took the lead with the first meaningful attack of the match.
A sweeping move ended with Leon Osman laying the ball out wide into the
path of Leighton Baines and the overlapping full-back’s cross was aimed
perfectly towards the run of Eto’o. The Cameroon international did not
even need to check his stride before he powered his header in off the
underside of the crossbar.
Even at that early stage it looked as though that goal could open the
floodgates for the Merseysiders and lead to a long, long afternoon for
Sean Dyche’s struggling side but, to their credit, they refused to lie
down.
Despite being second best for long periods of time, they clawed their
way back into the game in the 20th minute – although they were given a
large helping hand by Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian striker gave the ball away cheaply midway inside his own
half, and Lukas Jutkiewicz made him pay with a perfect through ball for
Danny Ings.
And the striker, who did so much so much to help Burnley secure
promotion last season, kept his composure to round Tim Howard and slot
the ball home for his first Premier League goal.
That will have come as a huge personal relief to him, and a collective
relief to his team, but their joy was all too short-lived.
They enjoyed parity for just eight minutes before Everton again punished the Clarets for hesitancy at the back.
Again the Toffees passed the ball around neatly before Gary Naismith fed
the ball into Lukaku in the penalty area. The centre-forward was
perhaps slightly fortunate his first effort rebounded off a defender and
back into his path but he needed no second invitation as he swept the
ball across Tom Heaton and into the far corner.
It was hard to argue Everton did not deserve their lead, and they continued to look the most likely to score again.
Naismtih’s looping header clipped the top of the crossbar, while Eto’o tested Heaton with a decent long-range drive.
And it was fitting it was Eto’o who had the last word in the contest, as
he settled the affair with a scintillating 25-yard curling drive that
gave Heaton absolutely no chance to reinforce Everton’s superiority and
pile on the misery for the home fans. – misery that was almost
multiplied as Eto’o was denied his hat-trick by a post in the dying
moments.
There was no doubting the hosts’ commitment to the cause, but Dyche
desperately needs to unlock the secret to finding that first win of the
campaign. And he needs to do it quick
TOA MAONI YAKO HAPA CHINI
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