Win means Everton move to mid-table

Everton 3 Spurs 1

Everton moved into the Barclaycard Premiership comfort zone with a first-half blitz against Tottenham at Goodison Park.

They battered Spurs, particularly in a cracking first half, and have now leapfrogged the north-London side into 12th spot – nine points from the relegation dogfight with six games left.

Everton found the visitors in a generous mood, and looking like they had been comfortable in mid-table for far too long.

Spurs were awful in the first half, and although skipper Stephen Carr pulled a goal back in the second period, he was sent off two minutes later to compound his side’s misery.

Everton had struck with fine goals from three defenders in that opening spell, David Unsworth, Gary Naysmith and Joseph Yobo grabbing the goals which have now eased fears of relegation.

Boss David Moyes made just one change from the side that started last weekend at Newcastle, with Scottish international James McFadden coming in up front for the injured Kevin Campbell.

Jamie Redknapp played despite 20 stitches in a mouth wound and young defender Stephen Kelly came in for only his second start in the Premiership with Simon Davies also returning after a long lay-off with a shin splints problem.

And the Londoners were under siege from the start as Everton’s quick and mobile front men ran them ragged.

The hosts opened with a flurry of chances, largely involving a high-speed Tomasz Radzinski.

First, he arrived on the near post to send a Steve Watson cross just wide before providing a swirling ball in from the right which saw Kevin Kilbane force Kasey Keller into conceding a hasty corner.

Kasey was jumpy and uncertain, but no worse than a shambolic defence in front of him who were continually torn apart.

Six minutes later it was Watson again the provider, pushing a neat ball into space on the right for Radzinski to drill across the face of Keller’s goal, the American keeper diving to his right to push the ball away.

And it was no surprise when Everton took the lead on 16 minutes.

Thomas Gravesen’s short corner to Gary Naysmith produced a swirling cross which Watson nodded on for Unsworth to turn into the roof of the net from close range.

Spurs had barely troubled Nigel Martyn to this point, just a long-range effort from Davies had brought the keeper into action. Then, Christian Ziege had a right-footed effort from 20 yards which Martyn held to his left.

But these were just rare moments of attacking intention from the visitors.

Another defender got into the Everton scoring action on 24 minutes. Gary Doherty brought down Kilbane outside the box, and Naysmith stepped up to curl a beauty into the top corner with his left foot.

Jermain Defoe almost punished a Gravesen error and Davies was maybe a little unlucky when referee Rob Styles waved away penalty claims after a cross struck Naysmith on the arm.

But Spurs were more concerned with stopping the flow coming their way and they could not cope with the pace and movement of McFadden, Kilbane and Radzinski - none of them playing as genuine central striker, but attacking from deep.

Carr was cautioned for a foul on Gravesen, Redknapp was booked for a hefty challenge on McFadden and Doherty for bringing down Gravesen as Everton took over.

Spurs defending was becoming comical, and Kilbane saw a long-range effort blocked in front of an open goal by Doherty after Keller had made a hash of a clearance.

But Everton were soon three up.

Doherty’s foul on Gravesen produced another free-kick just outside the box on 40 minutes.

Gravesen powered the ball in, Keller only palmed it out and Joseph Yobo finished off from inside the six-yard box.

The arrival after the break of Freddie Kanoute as substitute at least gave Spurs a target up front, and some pace and strength to trouble Yobo.

Carr attempted to stir Spurs with a run and long-range shot, but Everton continued to look likely to add more goals, with McFadden having two decent efforts before Radzinski scampered away down the left and fired across a gaping goal.

Spurs’ efforts deserved some reward by now and on 75 minutes they pulled one back when substitute Rohan Ricketts’ through ball found full-back Carr, whose left foot shot beat Martyn.

But Carr’s joy was short-lived because two minutes later he received his second yellow card for a foul on McFadden, and was sent off.

Everton brought on Francis Jeffers and Lee Carsley for McFadden and Gravesen in the closing minutes, the points by now well and truly in the bag.