Premier League: Everton v Manchester United full time report
Everton 3 Manchester United 3
Two goals in injury time saw Everton pull off a thrilling comeback against Manchester United at Goodison Park.
The home fans were ready to give their former player Wayne Rooney plenty of abuse, but with United’s talisman absent from the game today, they will be delighted after they looked down and out when three minutes was added on at the end of the game.
Steven Pienaar gave Everton the lead on 39 minutes after a quick counter-attack as Leon Osman picked out the South African, who calmly slotted the ball past United ‘keeper Edwin van der Sar. This came on the back of Mikel Arteta breaking from inside his own half to be one on one with Van der Sar, whose effort was palmed into the path of Osman.
United levelled two minutes before half time, as Nani’s cross from the right picked out an unmarked Darren Fletcher, who scored his second goal of the season.
Two minutes into the second half, Nemanja Vidic put United in front, as another Nani cross found the head of the United skipper who was unmarked and couldn’t miss.
United’s third goal came courtesy of a wonderful Paul Scholes cross field pass which picked out Dimitar Berbatov, who finished with the outside of his foot to find the bottom corner on 66 minutes.
Tim Cahill popped up with a header in stoppage time to give Everton some hope, and their hope was rewarded when Arteta’s shot was deflected by Scholes into the net just moments later to achieve the impossible.
Everton began the game in typical fashion, hurrying United and closing them down all over the pitch.
Arteta nearly opened the scoring to put the home side in front on six minutes as his trademark free-kick brushed the top of the crossbar.
Osman fired over from the edge of the box as Everton continued to pile on the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.
John O’Shea nearly put United in front after they soaked up the pressure on 15 minutes when he hit a tremendous shot from a long way out, but his shot just whistled over Everton ‘keeper Tim Howard’s net.
Cahill, playing a supporting role to Marouane Fellaini up front, hit a left-footed shot over the bar which didn’t trouble Van der Sar on 25 minutes as the game settled down after an Everton storm at the start.
Approaching the half hour mark, Leighton Baines popping up from left-back had a great chance to put Everton in front, but he miscued his shot horribly wide.
Howard made a fantastic save with his foot to deny a Scholes’ deflected shot on 34 minutes. The deflection wrong-footed the former United ‘keeper, who somehow managed to stick out a foot and pull off a fine save.
Howard once again made a fine save on 38 minutes, as Ryan Giggs was denied from close-range.
Berbatov almost put United 2-1 up after his volley went agonisingly wide of Howard’s goal. The Bulgarian showed great technique to make the chance a decent one.
Everton were looking to make amends for conceding two sloppy goals, as Pienaar fired an effort straight into the hands of Van der Sar on the hour mark.
United had the chance to score a third, as Everton defender Sylvain Distin pushed up needlessly, allowing Berbatov to break clear. He picked out Nani, and his shot was well-saved by Howard.
Baines curled a free-kick into the side netting with 20 minutes left, as Everton fans on one side of the ground thought they had pulled a goal back.
On 78 minutes, a neatly-worked move from Everton almost resulted in the score being 3-2, as Osman scuffed a shot after Yakubu held the ball up for the midfielder.
Arteta had another chance, but the Spaniard’s left-footed shot went wide of the target.
Berbatov nearly scored his second of the game, as United had four players streaking clear, but the United striker’s shot went tamely wide. Gaps were appearing at the back, as Everton pushed for goals and United waited to hit them on the break.
Another high-scoring game and more dropped points for United, and for Everton, Arteta rescued a point after it seemed they were destined for a third defeat in four games.
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