Super sub Rooney does it again

Everton 3 Leicester 2

David Moyes called on super subs Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson to save Everton with a second-half revival after Leicester had threatened a smash-and-grab raid.

In a see-saw clash at Goodison Park, it was left to Rooney and Ferguson to lead the fightback after Les Ferdinand and James Scowcroft had cancelled out an own goal scored by City’s Steve Howey.

Rooney took just 10 minutes to make his mark after coming off the bench on the hour, powering home an Everton equaliser for his second goal in successive matches, prior to Ferguson’s first touch of the ball then teeing up Tomasz Radzinski for the winner.

Everton are now four points clear of the relegation zone after recording back-to-back Premiership victories for the first time since April, while the defeat leaves City dangerously hovering over the bottom three.

But Moyes and his troops will have headed into the dressing room at half time wondering just how they were on level terms with their relegation rivals.

Not that Everton had outplayed Leicester during the opening 45 minutes, but they had at least controlled the game from the kick off and were never troubled at the back.

The initial quarter-of-an-hour was all Everton as a series of Gary Naysmith corners caused panic in the City defence, in particular in the fifth minute when Ben Thatcher – playing with a plaster cast on his broken left hand – could do no more than flick an inswinger to the far post.

Billy McKinlay then cleared Alan Stubbs’ sidefoot shot off the line, and from the ensuing corner, a hashed clearance fell the way of Alessandro Pistone for a left-foot drive from 20 yards which he then fired narrowly wide.

In the space of a minute soon after, Thomas Gravesen twice came close as a powerful drive was first deflected wide and then from another half-cleared corner, he unleashed a stunning half-volley which flashed past Ian Walker’s left-hand post.

A sustained lull was finally punctuated in the 32nd minute with the opening goal created by a long punt upfield by Nigel Martyn which was woefully dealt with by Thatcher on the edge of his own area.

It allowed Lee Carsley to steal in, and after his flick was blocked at point-blank range by a brave Walker, the Foxes goalkeeper was unfortunate to see his save rebound off the shins of Howey and over the line.

Leicester fans had taunted referee Phil Dowd earlier in the game, after a couple of incidents went against their side, with the chant of ‘Are you Riley in disguise?’

That was a reference to last week’s defeat at home to Birmingham when Matt Elliott and Ian Walker were sent off by Mike Riley, who also dismissed boss Micky Adams from the dugout.

But the Foxes faithful had Dowd to thank for their leveller with virtually the last kick of the first half, and with Ferdinand rifling home a thunderbolt on a rain-lashed afternoon on Merseyside, and his 16th career goal against Everton.

Dowd initially blew after seeing Stubbs hold down Marcus Bent, and when he then threw the ball behind his back in disgust, the Stoke official not only cautioned the Everton skipper, but advanced the ball 10 yards to the edge of the area.

Stubbs’ indiscretion proved extremely costly for after Muzzy Izzet had touched on the indirect free-kick, there was 37-year-old Ferdinand to beat Martyn with a searing drive from 19 yards into the top left-hand corner for his sixth goal of the season.

Everton then started the second period as they had the first, in the ascendancy and peppering the City area with a series of corners, one of which saw Campbell hit the bar from six yards.

But against the run of play and for the second time in the game, Leicester found the net, with Riccardo Scimeca first playing in Jordan Stewart down the left and his cross was headed home by a stooping Scowcroft in the 58th minute.

With Everton now behind, the situation finally called for the introduction of Rooney on the hour, and he duly obliged with the equaliser.

Radzinski’s run down the right wing led to a low cross which fortuitously deflected into the path of Campbell who, with his back to goal, saw Rooney screaming for the lay off which quickly arrived, capped off by a punishing 15-yard drive.

Goodison Park erupted to acclaim the 18-year-old, with another raucous cheer soon following for the arrival of Ferguson, coming on for his first appearance since October 25 following injury and his now infamous bust-up with Moyes.

It was another pivotal substitution for Ferguson’s first touch was to knock down a David Unsworth cross into the path of Radzinski to hammer a 10-yard volley beyond Walker and provide plenty of Christmas cheer.