Saturday 20th August 2016,
Premier League, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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West Bromwich Albion |
1 -
2 |
Everton |
|
1
- 1 |
|
McAuley (9) |
|
Mirallas (45+2) |
|
|
Barry (60) |
|
|
|
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Managers |
|
Tony Pulis |
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Ronald Koeman |
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Starting XI |
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Ben Foster |
|
Maarten Stekelenburg |
Craig Dawson |
|
Mason Holgate |
Gareth McAuley |
|
Phil Jagielka (c) |
Jonas Olsson |
|
Ramiro Funes Mori |
Jonny Evans |
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James McCarthy (Lukaku 38) |
(Leko 65) Matt Phillips |
|
Idrissa Gueye |
(c) Darren Fletcher |
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Gareth Barry |
Claudio Yacob |
|
Leighton Baines |
(McClean 64) Craig Gardner |
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Kevin Mirallas (Williams 81) |
(Lambert 78) Saido Berahino |
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Ross Barkley |
Salomón Rondón |
|
Gerard Deulofeu
(Bolasie 61) |
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Substitutes |
|
James Morrison |
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Joel Robles (gk) |
(gk) Boaz Myhill |
|
Ashley Williams |
James McClean |
|
Romelu Lukaku |
Rickie Lambert |
|
Aaron Lennon |
Jonathan Leko |
|
Yannick Bolasie |
Sam Field |
|
Tom Cleverley |
Kane Wilson |
|
Bryan Oviedo |
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Bookings |
|
(foul 26) Berahino |
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Stekelenburg (timewasting 90+1) |
(foul 59) Olsson |
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(foul 90+3) Evans |
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Attendance:
23,654 (2,777
Everton fans) |
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Referee:
Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire) |
Assistant 01:
Darren Cann
(Norfolk) |
Assistant 02:
Derek Eaton (Gloucestershire) |
Fourth Official:
Scott Duncan
(Northumberland) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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● New club owner
Guochuan Lai attends the game. He 'treats' fans to a free drink - a voucher
was handed out on entering the ground. |
MATCH REPORT
Ronald Koeman got his first
Premier League victory as Everton manager as
West Brom lost 2-1 at The Hawthorns in front of new owner
Guochuan Lai. Lai, who heads the Chinese investment group which at the beginning
of this month completed its takeover of the club, saw his team make the perfect
start to their home campaign as Gareth McAuley headed
Albion into an early lead.
However, goals from Kevin Mirallas and Gareth Barry either side of half-time saw
Koeman claim his first three-point haul as Toffees boss after drawing 1-1 at
home to Tottenham on the opening day.
West Brom's opening goal came
after eight minutes following some good forward play from Salomon Rondon. The
Venezuela international used his strength to hold off Ramiro Funes Mori and
control Craig Gardner's long ball into the box before getting off a shot that
Maarten Stekelenburg did well to come out and block. From the resulting corner,
an inswinger from Gardner, McAuley jumped highest between Mirallas and Phil
Jagielka to head home at the far post from two yards out. Everton struggled to
muster a response until midway through the first half when a low cross from
Leighton Baines found Barry arriving just inside the penalty area but he swept
his shot tamely at Ben Foster. As the half-hour mark approached former Albion
loanee Romelu Lukaku received a warm round of applause from some of the home
fans as he warmed up down the touchline and after 37 minutes he was on the
pitch, brought on in place of James McCarthy in what looked like a tactical
switch by Koeman. Lukaku was not directly involved but the switch did quickly
bring a reward as Everton equalised in the final minute of the half. A lovely
one-touch passing move started by Mirallas just outside the penalty area and
involving Barry and Ross Barkley was given the finish it deserved by the little
Belgian when he beat Foster with a low shot from 12 yards out.
The second half began with a
series of chances for either side to take the lead - before Everton eventually
obliged on the hour. West Brom would have regained the advantage had
Stekelenburg not stuck out his right foot to block Darren Fletcher's shot from
inside the box while Foster kept the scores level as he instinctively blocked
Gerard Deulofeu's prod goalwards following an Everton corner. Back at the other
end, Gardner curled a free-kick narrowly wide before Foster had to push away a
Funes Mori header. From the resulting corner, Mason Holgate's scuffed volley
looped towards the far post where Barry, on his 100th Premier League appearance
for the Toffees, headed the ball home from almost the exact position where
McAuley had previously scored for West Brom. Barkley should have extended the
lead after 72 minutes but he powered a near-post header wide from a pin-point
cross from substitute Yannick Bolasie, making his debut following his reported
£25million arrival from Crystal Palace this week. Lukaku was denied a late goal
by Foster on his return when through on the home goalkeeper while a last-gasp
chance to earn a point was put over the crossbar by Rondon.
Sporting Life
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