EPL LEAGUE
MATCH 6 - 3 JAN 15, 1700hrs@Jurong West Secondary School (Artificial Pitch)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 4
EVERTON 2
(Teo Jun Kai, Timothy Teo)
EVERTON TEAM LINE-UP (4-1-4-1)
GOALKEEPER
Ronnie Lim
DEFENDERS
Right-back: Md Jeffry
Left-back: Keng Wei Terk
Centre-back: Norman Chan
Centre-back: Vincent Siow
MIDFIELDERS
Defensive Anchor: Liu Weixian
Central: Giles Jacobson
Central (Attacking): Lau Kok Hao
Right: Teo Jun Kai
Left: Muhammad Nadzri
STRIKER
Jalil Noor
SUBSTITUTES
Low Boon Chim
Derrick Lui
Eugene Conway Boanes
Khoo Yee Tian
Timothy Teo
Zamairi Aineh
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH
Vincent Siow
On a pristine evening on a beautiful pitch, Everton started with bright hopes of securing only their second win in five games (not counting their walk-over over Man City). After a rather even 25 minutes, things looked good when right-midfielder Jun Kai latched on to a loose ball in the penalty area and scored with a sweet, left-footed drive past the diving Spurs 'keeper.
For the rest of the first half, Everton defended well to frustrate Spurs' attempts to come back, with their incisions down the middle often thwarted by the resolute Everton backline, that was being marshaled ably by Vincent Siow.
However, in the second half, the wheels came unstuck for the away Toffees as Spurs hit them with a devastating four-goal blitz inside 15 minutes. The first came from a beautifully-struck out-swerving free-kick from the right-side; meeting the Spurs attacker's head as he evaded his marker. Everton were kinda stunned from that early set-back; but things were about to get worse.
With Spurs now switching strategy and playing long diagonal balls over the Everton defence, a piece of lovely skill in the Everton penalty area caused them to come undone. A superb left-foot finish from the Spurs attacker meant that they were now in the ascendancy. About 6 minutes had further gone when the faltering visitors conceded a third; with defensive hardman Derrick Lui pushing over a dangerous-looking Spurs forager to concede a penalty.
With a 1-3 deficit, there was now no choice for Everton but to pour resources forward in search of a comeback, but alas, in a sequence from their corner, they were caught by a fleeting Spurs breakaway. With the Everton defence appealing vainly for an offside call, no fewer than three Spurs attackers homed in on the Everton goal to poach a fourth.
Everton did show their customary fighting spirit and though the chips were down, they never gave up. Substitute Timothy Teo pulled one back with a nice finish after a good through-ball released him clear from midfield. Spurs were now slightly panicked; but managed to regain their foothold sufficiently to hold on for a 4-2 win.
Everton were no doubt missing a few key first-team regulars; but if they want to pick up their season, they will need to re-focus their energies for a concerted push into the second half of the campaign.
