Toffees get campaign off to a winning start

Everton 2 Wigan 1

Goals from Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe gave Everton an opening day victory.

Osman’s effort came in the first half when he sent a looping header over Chris Kirkland. Anichebe netted with 15 minutes left from Andrew Johnson’s pass.

Wigan pulled one back through substitute Antoine Sibierski but could not force a draw.

There is disharmony in the Everton ranks at the moment over whether they should move to a new stadium in Kirkby, but there was nothing but unity and team work on the pitch from the Toffees.

Before the match a low-flying plane trailed a ’Say “No” to Kirkby’ banner over the ground. Voting among fans on the issue of leaving Liverpool is taking place at the moment.

Everton’s fans may well be split over where their club will end up, but Moyes and his team are giving them something to be proud of on the pitch.

Europe beckons on this sort of form.

With £10million spent in the summer, Moyes went with his trusted players, his hand partly forced by injuries to Leighton Baines, Tim Cahill, James McFadden and James Vaughan.

Phil Jagielka, £4million from Sheffield United, could only get as far as the bench with Moyes again opting for Joleon Lescott at full-back.

Wigan have spent more than ever before and they gave league debuts to Jason Koumas, Titus Bramble and Mario Melchiot, with Antoine Sibierski on the bench for this season’s opener.

Everton were sharp and clever from the start, with Mikel Arteta involved in all that was good about their forward play. One cross from the Spaniard was lofted over by Leon Osman, and he was a constant threat on the right.

Wigan new boy Koumas, used on the opposite flank, found space and time to also create problems.

Wigan’s back line had appeared sound but they conceded a goal they will be far from pleased with in the 25th minute.

Osman took it very well, but Wigan boss Chris Hutchings will be unimpressed by a defence that allowed a long cross to bounce, 18 yards out, and will look closely at Chris Kirkland’s positioning.

Tony Hibbert’s cross from the right arrowed in, but only Osman made an attempt to reach it. His looping header caught Kirkland a yard or two off his line and soared high before dropping just under the bar.

Then Arteta jinked his way into the box and past three men before going down under a Bramble challenge. Referee Mark Clattenburg was only a few yards away and decided the big defender had marginally touched the ball first before catching Arteta. A howling Goodison Park did not agree.

Wigan tried to hit back when Emile Heskey charged through and set up Caleb Folan for a shot which curled just over. Then Heskey fired a 25-yard shot inches wide, but Everton were good value for their half-time lead.

Everton’s second almost came when Kirkland made a hash of a high Arteta free-kick. First he lost out in the air to Victor Anichebe, and then he fumbled the dropping ball to allow Osman the chance of a close-range effort that was scrambled away.

Wigan sent on Sibierski for Folan on 66 minutes and, when the Frenchman won a header in the box, Denny Landzaat fired narrowly wide.

Former Everton winger Kevin Kilbane was being used as a left-back by Wigan, and he was more than tested by Arteta’s trickery.

Everton sent on new boy Steven Pienaar on 74 minutes for Osman, and within 60 seconds their second goal arrived.

Johnson worked superbly on the left to get away from Andreas Granqvist before clipping a clever pass across the six-yard box for Anichebe to side-foot home, despite the attempts of Bramble on the line to keep it out.

But Wigan were not finished and on 80 minutes scored a well-constructed goal. Heskey’s flick sent Scharner away on the right and his cross to the far post was swept into the roof of the net by Sibierski.

It needed a full-stretch save from Howard to keep out a Scharner shot from 25 yards but Everton saw out the final few minutes to claim a deserved victory.