EVERTON v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 28th February 2009, 12:45pm
Goodison Park

Two desperate defeats on the bounce followed by successive games against top 6 sides is not the treatment most doctors would prescribe to lift the spirits of the average Albion fan right now.

Sunday’s loss to Fulham was depressing in more ways than one, not least the way in which the side appeared to lack the fighting spirit, that for large periods this season, has so epitomised the players in their efforts to show two fingers to the ‘gulf in class’ merchants.

Everton away is probably one of the last fixtures Tony Mowbray would have picked in order to get some much needed points on the board and lift the undoubtedly flagging spirits of the team and supporters.

After a sluggish start which still saw them leave the Hawthorns with three points, the Toffees have once again made their way steadily up the table and are always a hard team to beat. David Moyes has gone about his business efficiently over the past few years and has built a team that is tight at the back yet contains enough flair to trouble most sides.

The loss of Mikel Arteta will certainly be a blow to their efforts to cement a place in Europe again, but even the most optimistic Baggies fan would surely think they have way too much in their locker to offer us any chance of gaining a surprise win on the road. With Jonas Olsson set to be absent again it will rest on the shoulders of the beleaguered Barnett and Meite to cope with the threat provided by the likes of Saha, Jo and the ever dangerous Tim Cahill.

An off colour Everton combined with a performance from the Baggies that has been lacking recently may offer a glimmer of hope of picking up a point but the best supporters can really hope for is that our relegation rivals all struggle to pick up points this weekend too.

 Prediction: Home Win. Bring on the Arsenal…

Julian Safe

TEAM NEWS

Albion

In goal Scott Carson will retain his place with Dean Kiely providing back-up on the bench.

Baggies’ boss Tony Mowbray will definitely be without defenders Jonas Olsson (knee) and Neil Clement (knee) whilst left-back and captain Paul Robinson is a doubt with his wife still yet to give birth. If Robinson does miss out, Marek Cech will return to the starting line-up probably alongside Abdoulaye Meite, Leon Barnett and Gianni Zuiverloon. Pele and Ryan Donk look likely to remain on the bench despite Meite and Barnett looking less than impressive recently.

In midfield Albion are still without Jonathan Greening who is recovering from a knee injury whilst recent signing Youssouf Mulumbu is also missing due to a thigh strain picked up in training. Filipe Teixeira will be available despite fracturing his toe in last Sunday's defeat at Fulham. Borja Valero, Robert Koren, James Morrison and Chris Brunt look the likely starters with Juan Carlos Menseguez, Teixeira and Do-heon Kim fighting for a place on the bench.

Jay Simpson looks likely to once again partner Marc-Antoine Fortune up front with Roman Bednar and Luke Moore both starting on the bench. Craig Beattie is out on loan at Sheffield United and Ishmael Miller is still missing through injury.

Albion (from): Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Pele, Donk, Meite, Barnett, Robinson, Cech, Morrison, Koren, Brunt, Kim, Menseguez, Teixeira, Valero, Bednar, Simpson, Fortune, Moore.

Everton

Everton boss David Moyes will have Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert back in the squad after both were suspended for the clash with Newcastle United last Sunday.  

Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta is out for at least six months after damaging his cruciate ligament against Newcastle whilst Everton will also definitely be without Victor Anichebe (knee), Nuno Valente (knee), Yakubu (calf/shin), and James Vaughan (knee).

Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini has a back injury but will be available for selection whilst Leon Osman and Steven Pienaar may also feature after returning to training.

QUOTES

Albion manager Tony Mowbray:

"We are going away to the team who are sixth and then meet the team who are fifth over the space of a few days.

"So we have a big, big ask coming up in the next few days and we will have to see whether we are up to the challenge which is in front of us.

"We have shown against Everton already this season that we can give them more than a tough game.

"That was a match at The Hawthorns which we lost 2-1, the game slipped away from us after we had played enough good football to have won the game."

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 13/2, Everton Win: 1/2, Draw: 11/4.

First Goalscorer

Saha 9/2, Cahill 9/2, Jo 9/2, Anichebe 6/1, Fellaini 7/1, Simpson 9/1, Bednar 9/1, Fortune 9/1, Moore 10/1, Gosling 10/1, Osman 12/1, Dorrans 12/1, van der Meyde 14/1, Brunt 14/1, Pienaar 14/1, Morrison 16/1, Menseguez 16/1, Kim 16/1, Koren 16/1, Lescott 16/1, Castillo 16/1.

TICKET INFORMATION

Albion have been allocated 1,800 tickets for the game.

Mostly cloudy but mild.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT GOODISON PARK

Everton 2-2 Albion
Barclays Premiership
Sunday 07 May 2006, 3:00pm

Everton:  Turner, Neville, Weir, Stubbs, Valente, Osman, Simon Davies (Van der Meyde 67), Arteta, Kilbane (Anichebe 67), McFadden, Ferguson. Subs not used: Ruddy, Naysmith, Ferrari

Goalscorers: Anichebe 84, Ferguson 90

Booked: Neville 31 (foul)

Albion: Kuszczak, Watson (Hodgkiss 63), Martinez, Curtis Davies, Robinson, Gera (Carter 75), Wallwork, Quashie, Greening, Kanu, Ellington (Nicholson 69). Subs not used: Hoult, Inamoto.

Goalscorers: Gera 14, Martinez 47

Booked: Wallwork 91 (dissent), Carter 91 (dissent)

Attendance: 39,671

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

Duncan Ferguson brought down the curtain on his Everton career with a late equaliser against West Brom. The giant Scot, captain for the day and with the likelihood of a free transfer coming his way, completed Everton's fightback from 2-0 down before going on an emotional lap of honour with his children - and with tears in his eyes. The 34-year-old was given a guard of honour by his team-mates at the end and was clearly moved by the tribute.

Albion had taken a deserved two-goal lead through goals from Zoltan Gera and Williams Martinez before Everton stormed back with two goals in the last five minutes. First teenager Victor Anichebe pulled a goal back and then Ferguson stepped up to see his 89th-minute penalty saved, only for him to force home the rebound. Manager David Moyes has not yet revealed his retained list, but it has been predicted that Ferguson will not get a new contract and, after two spells at the club which have seen him play 238 matches for Toffees, this looked like his farewell as he carried his young son onto the pitch as mascot. A packed Goodison Park then paid tribute to legendary defender Brian Labone, with a minute of sustained applause before the start.

Everton had Mikel Arteta, who received his player of the year trophy, back from injury and he quickly began unpicking Albion's defence. Two corners swirled into the box before he crossed from the right for Kevin Kilbane to send in a fierce header on five minutes, tipped onto the bar and then collected by goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. But Albion were quick to respond and took the lead on 14 minutes when Gera arrived on the far post to fire home Jonathan Greening's deep left-wing cross. Albion were far more lively, and it took Everton some time to get back into the game. Leon Osman saw a close-range shot deflected wide after Kilbane's pass, and from the corner - taken by Arteta - Kilbane saw a glancing header touched over by Kuszczak. But with the pressures of their failed relegation fight now lifted, Albion were producing some neat football with a committed attitude. And when Gera's cross reached Nathan Ellington in the box, the striker's shot was only just over the bar. Everton should have equalised when Phil Neville's cross was nodded on for Kilbane to crash a shot into Kuszczak's chest before the Polish keeper make a fine block from the follow-up.

Kanu almost made it two straight from the re-start with a near-post header from Greening's cross which Iain Turner deflected wide. But from the 47th-minute corner, taken by Greening, the ball was flicked on by Gera for Williams Martinez to volley the visitors further ahead on his first start for the Baggies. Everton hit back when James McFadden got away from Martinez to force Kuszczak into another excellent save, before Ferguson looked to have found the net with a header from a long free-kick, but he was controversially given offside. Kuszczak stopped McFadden after the Scot had been put clear in the box, before turning away another Ferguson header. Albion replaced former Everton man Steve Watson with Jared Hodgkiss, before Everton took off Simon Davies and Kilbane and sent on Andy van der Meyde and teenager Anichebe. Anichebe was in the fray immediately and turned his marker in the box only to see Kuszczak make another block. And with five minutes left the Nigerian youngster neatly got away from Martinez onto Arteta's pass to force his shot past Kuszczak. His first goal for the club had arrived on only his second appearance as a substitute. Everton were pounding Albion now, and Neville had an effort blocked before Osman fired over an open goal in the dying minutes. But after 89 minutes came a fitting end for Everton and Ferguson. Martinez brought down Arteta and up stepped Ferguson to see his penalty saved before firing home the rebound for the equaliser, with Ronnie Wallwork was booked for protesting.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

None

PAST CONNECTIONS

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS EVERTON

LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST EVERTON

DATE	COMPETITION	H/A	F-A	GOALSCORERS	GATE
Sat 23 Aug 2008	Premier League	H	1-2	Bednar (pen) - Osman, Yakubu	26,190
Sun 07 May 2006	Premier League	A	2-2	Gera, Martinez - Anichebe, Ferguson	39,671
Sat 19 Nov 2005	Premier League	H	4-0	Ellington 2 (1 pen), Clement, Earnshaw	24,784
Sun 03 Apr 2005	Premier League	H	1-0	Gera	26,805
Sat 28 Aug 2004	Premier League	A	1-2	Dobie - Osman 2	34,510
Sat 12 Apr 2003	Premier League	H	1-2	Balis (pen) - Hoult (og), Campbell	27,039
Sat 23 Nov 2002	Premier League	A	0-1	Radzinski	40,113
Wed 11 Jan 1989	FA Cup	A	0-1	Sheedy	31,697
Sat 07 Jan 1989	FA Cup	H	1-1	Anderson - Sheedy (pen)	31,186
Sat 07 Dec 1985	First Division	H	0-3	Sheedy, Van Den Hauwe, Lineker	12,206