Jo jumps for joy after routing Bolton

JO is not the first player to become bewildered by life at Manchester City, but few can have marked their escape with such obvious glee.

The Brazilian, having endured a miserable six months at Eastlands following a £19m move from CSKA Moscow, looked anxious to make up for lost time in his first game of a loan spell at Everton, winning a penalty, scoring a wonder goal and then rapping home a spot-kick of his own in the clinical demolition of an awful Bolton side.

Everton had been playing without a real centre-forward for weeks because of their injury crisis and Jo showed he could well be the answer.

“Jo looked dangerous,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “You need a good start when you come to a new club and he certainly got that. For him it was fantastic.

“English football is crazy. You see so many top players coming here and it can be difficult for them. He needed a move and a change of scenery, and hopefully we can give him the confidence and support he needs.”

Everton were never in danger. Jo was brought down for a first-half penalty that the excellent Mikel Arteta drilled home. Jo then turned defender Gary Cahill superbly on the edge of the box before driving home the second. Then, when Mark Davies was a little unlucky to concede an injury-time penalty, Jo completed his own perfect day from the spot.

For Bolton, it was humiliation. “I’m surprised by what I saw, we didn’t have anybody playing as well as they can,” manager Gary Megson said. “It was as bad as I have seen for a long time.”

EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard 6, Hibbert 7, Jagielka 7, Lescott 7, Baines 6 (Yobo 82, 5), Gosling 6, Neville 7, Arteta 8 (Van der Meyde 85, 5), Osman 6, Cahill 7 (Rodwell 77, 5), Jo, 8.

Subs Not Used: Nash, Castillo, Jacobsen, Baxter.

BOLTON (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen 6, A O’Brien 5, Cahill 7, Puygrenier 5 (Basham 60, 5), Samuel 5, Steinsson 5, M Davies 5, Muamba 5 (Smolarek 60, 5), Taylor 6, K Davies 6, Makukula 5 (Riga 83, 5).

Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Shittu, Obadeyi.

REFEREE: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire) 7: Both penalties were clear cut and neither manager had cause for complaint.

MATCH RATING: *** Very one-sided. Everton show no signs of fading away.