“In Moyes we trust” proclaims the newly erected hoardings which hang above the baying Gwladys Street crowd in the Old Lady of English football. Well they might, he’s only gone and done it again.
After weeks off field controversy, the effect of which has been an onset of doubt among even the most optimistic of Blues, the Everton manager’s masterplan forged from cut-price outcasts and untested potential has begun to bear fruit. Doubt is a real thing on the Blue half of Merseyside, but nobody doubts David Moyes.
New money is not something he knows, yet the Scot has managed to invigorate his squad with a combination of astute acquisitions from the vaunted Finch Farm academy and loan deals from overseas. It was the introduction of those acquisitions which saw Everton best an improving Wigan side for their first home win of the season.
Goals from Royston Drenthe, thrown a rope by the Blues after being cut adrift at Real Madrid, and Apostolos Vellios, a Greek under-21 plucked from a second division side in his home country, added to Phil Jagielka’s first half header as Everton came from behind in a performance full of character against Roberto Martinez’s men.
Moyes remarked on the better brand of football played by his team in their hard-luck draw at Villa last week, and the Blues looked as though they intended to carry on in that fashion against the Latics.
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov waltzed into the Wigan six yard box on five minutes before feeding Leighton Baines in his favourite wide left position, the cross was characteristically good but Seamus Coleman’s far post header was well blocked by Al Habsi.
For their assured start though, glimpses of vulnerability remain among the Blue ranks, Marouane Fellaini’s slip let in Franco Di Santo for Wigan’s first sight on goal, he ignored the better placed Rodallega to blast over a shot from range.
Fellaini had the chance to atone for that error on the half hour after Coleman fired in a stinging low cross from the right which the Belgian turned goalwards only for his effort to be blocked well by Caldwell.
With the both sides trying their level best to craft openings with cultured football, the first half had a distinct air of politeness not normally afforded to teams who visit Goodison. And it was a respectful request for play to be halted which handed Wigan their lead.
Leon Osman’s bizarre decision to freeze, mid-tussle, with Franco Di Santo, suggesting referee Mike Walton award a freekick for shirt pulling, allowed the Arentine to advance unchecked into the Everton area. He capitalised, slamming a deflected shot past Tim Howard, giving the visitors an against-the-run-of-play lead.
That rude awakening spurred the Blues into action and they hit back in the very next attack. Leighton Baines hung up a far post corner which Tim Cahill rose to meet in trademark fashion, he powered a header into the cross bar and the rebound fell kindly to Phil Jagielka who nodded in from close range for the equaliser.
As quick as they hit back, Everton could have had the lead. Osman’s fancy footwork bought a foul on the edge of the area which gave opportunity for a training ground routine. But Baines’ reverse pass from the kick evaded Osman by inches and the scores remained level at the break.
Carrying their momentum into the second half, Everton again looked the aggressors. But Roberto Martinez has built a team built for function as well as flair, and Wigan did well to quieten the advance of their hosts.
With the game going the way of last week’s energy sapping draw against Villa, Moyes shuffled the pack in a bid to crack the Latics stubborn resistance introducing Drenthe and Vellios. It was those two subs who saved the day.
Making up one half of Everton’s new look frontline, Denis Stracqualursi introduced just minutes before, Vellios ghosted in between the Wigan centre halves in a show of striking prowess beyond his years before rising to glance a Hibbert cross into Ali Al Habsi’s far corner to put his team in front in the 83rd minute.
The lead was made an unassailable one in the eighth minute of stoppage time when the Blues two January signings combined to brilliant effect. Denis Stracqualursi nodded down a long ball for Drenthe who finished coolly at the Gwladys Street end to seal Everton’s first win of the season, a result which leaves them eighth in the table and somewhere near having achieved their much sought after summer target of a “good start”.
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Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard, Baines, Jagielka, DIstin, Hibbert, Rodwell, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov (Drenthe , Coleman (Vellios 66), Osman, Cahill (Stracqualursi 83)
Subs: Mucha, Neville, Drenthe, Stracqualursi, Barkley, Vellios, Heitinga
Wigan (4-4-2): Al Habsi, McCarthy, Caldwell, Watson, Di Santo, Moses, Gomez (Jones 70), Rodallega, Van Aanholt, Lopez, Figeroa
Subs: Pollitt, Thomas, Crusat, Maloney, McArthur, Sammon, Jones
Att: 31,576
Ref: P Walton
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By Aaron SHARP @ Goodison Park
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