Moyes backs Becks to shine
Moyes’ men largely dominated at Goodison Park but a blunt attacking edge stopped them building on Tim Cahill’s opener before Sylvan Ebanks-Blake struck an equaliser out of nowhere 15 minutes from time.
The Toffees boss was full of praise for the efforts of Cahill but he also believes free transfer signing Beckford will quickly adapt to Premier League life after showing flashes of class on his home debut.
Moyes, who withdrew the former Leeds man to a standing ovation in the 71st minute, said: “I thought Jermaine gave us something else. You can see he looks to be a threat and I’m sure he is going to get us goals.
“You’ve got to take your chances when you get them. We had some great chances to make it 2-0 in the second half. Tim Cahill played well but I don’t know if we gave their ‘keeper enough to do.”
Everton were desperate to get points on the board after their dismal start to the season at Blackburn and they set about their task in businesslike fashion against a Wolves side who failed to get out of first gear.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy described his side’s first-half display as “hopeless” and “abject” as Everton dominated without really creating any clear chances besides John Heitinga’s long-range shot which was tipped over the bar by Marcus Hahnemann.
The home side squeezed in front in the 43rd minute. First Mikel Arteta was clearly hauled down in the box only for referee Lee Mason to signal a free-kick on the edge of the area.
From Arteta’s free-kick the ball struck the Wolves wall and rebounded to Cahill, who shrugged off Jody Craddock to ram the ball home.
In the 75th minute Adlene Guedioura’s crunching challenge on Heitinga set up a break for Kevin Doyle which ended in a neat cross which Ebanks-Blake converted.
Delighted McCarthy said: “They could have been 5-0 up at half-time but at the end of the second half I’m not too sure I wanted it to end – I fancied us winning.”
Moyes’s clipped “yes” when asked whether he was disappointed over his side’s start to the season said it all about the prevailing mood at Goodison. “I thought we played fine in the first half and probably then you could only see the victory going one way,” said Moyes. “But that’s what the Premier League does to you.”
EVERTON: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Heitinga (Fellaini 82), Arteta, Bilyaletdinov (Osman 82), Cahill, Beckford (Saha 71).
WOLVES: Hahnemann, Foley, Berra, Craddock, Elokobi (Guedioura 53), Jarvis, Henry, David Jones (Halford 70), Ward, Ebanks-Blake (Stearman 90), Doyle.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
