Everton curtail European hopes

Last updated : 27 February 2005 By Pancho Villa

David Moyes’ side strengthened their own bid for a UEFA Champions League place with a performance that should make even the strongest sceptics think again about their chances. Villa optimists, meanwhile, should refer to their nearest optometrist after a ragged showing that could have shipped five or six goals and made a mockery of David O’Leary’s European claims.

Leon Osman hit two, either side of Tim Cahill’s second-half strike and although Nolberto Solano had briefly given Villa hope just after the restart, the result was never really in doubt. The only real question surrounded the size of the defeat as Osman, Cahill and Marcus Bent all had opportunities to add to the scoreline and but for the excellent Thomas Sørenson, they probably would have.


The match was open from the kick-off and but for two excellent pieces of defensive work, either side could have broken the deadlock inside ten minutes. First, Joseph Yobo made a vital intervention to thwart Gareth Barry after Thomas Hitzlsperger threaded the ball through. Then, Villa captain Olof Mellberg denied Bent after Cahill's robust run.


Kevin Kilbane made another unopposed run through the middle on 16 minutes and fed Cahill whose cross was nodded in by Osman, completely free at the far post. Soon afterwards, Juan Pablo Angel had Nigel Martyn stretching to hold a snapshot under his crossbar but Everton, with Cahill and Arteta running strongly at the Villa defence, had much greater substance. Osman, who at 5ft 9in is not renowned for his aerial prowess, headed over, while a long-range drive by full-back Alessandro Pistone forced Sørenson into a good save.

But less than a minute after the restart, Villa were level when a cute pass from Luke Moore released Hitzlsperger who pulled back for Solano to score from close range. Parity was just as brief, however, with Cahill (5' 10") taking advantage of a breakdown in communication between Mellberg and Sørenson to head in Bent's cross.


Everton were rampant thereafter and added a deserved third in some style, with slick one-touch passing between Bent and Cahill, who effortlessly picked out Osman to finish as the Villa defence stood aghast. They could, and really should, have wrapped things up with a succession of chances as Bent, Cahill and Osman were all denied by Sørenson.


Darius Vassell replaced Luke Moore for the last 30 minutes, his first appearance after four months out with a broken ankle, and he must have wished he could have extended his absence. As the match wore on Everton took their foot off the gas and Hitzlsperger was only a foot wide in a rare Villa attack and Martyn saved from Angel's header. Then Solano rattled the bar with a fine shot, but it was all too late for David O’Leary’s side. If the odds on a UEFA Cup spot was comparible to Frank Bruno versus Mike Tyson before the game, they are surely languishing in the realm of Frank Bough versus Mike Tyson now.