DEADLY Dominic Calvert-Lewin, one of the best signings of Bill Kenwright’s 19-year reign at Goodison Park, has kick-started Everton’s season after downing lacklustre West Ham with his 50th Premier League career goal.
It has been an emotional few days for Evertonians, ever since they discovered that their chairman Kenwright, an acclaimed West End theatre and film producer, had died at the age of 78.
But at the end of a difficult week for the club and its true blue followers, Calvert-Lewin scored the type of brilliant goal that would have left proud Kenwright beaming from ear-to-ear.
And by bringing up his half century of Prem goals – only four other players had reached that milestone for the Toffees – it secured Sean Dyche’s men a third top-flight victory of the campaign.
Before the 1pm kick-off, both clubs paid tribute to the late Kenwright as well as 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton, who passed away last weekend aged 86.
Fans, players, staff and Charlton’s ex-England teammate Sir Geoff Hurst took part in a minute’s applause while the two managers, Dyche and David Moyes, laid wreaths on the pitch.
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Even though the clocks had been brought forward by an hour, perhaps the pre-match pasta had not fully digested for some of the players at the London Stadium because there was little creativity or spark in a turgid first half.
The atmosphere was as flat as one of the match balls which the referee Stuart Attwell, after consultation with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, decided to remove from the pitch on the quarter of an hour mark.
West Ham’s best chance came on 23 minutes when Lucas Paqueta cleverly flicked the ball over the head of Everton right-back Nathan Patterson – who had replaced the suspended Ashley Young – before drilling a pass across the penalty area.
But in a perfect illustration of how poor this contest had been, Jarrod Bowen fluffed his line, mishitting his attempt which flew wide of the goal.
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Even when there was a flashpoint that got the players angered and the home fans engaged, it did not really spark this match into life.
That moment came on 27 minutes when James Tarkowski went in hard on Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus from behind, a proper old-school tackle.
Attwell had no issue with the challenge but the West Ham players certainly did, surrounding the Everton captain in disgust.
Meanwhile, Pickford started berating the grounded Kudus – on his Prem start debut – for what he perceived to be playacting.
Two cautions, one for Kudus and Pickford, defused the situation but Tarkowski walked away without any punishment even though his actions had instigated the brief melee.
Everton offered little in attack in the opening 45 minutes with Jack Harrison going the closest when he robbed possession off Paqueta in midfield but his eventual strike was weak and disappointing.
Thankfully the second half was not dull as the first half and Calvert-Lewin ensured there was something newsworthy to write about.
Jarrad Branthwaite won the ball off Michail Antonio and fed a short pass to the Everton forward, who in turn played a one-two with Harrison.
Calvert-Lewin then spun quickly past Hammers defenders Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd before rifling his shot past goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on 51 minutes.
It was Calvert-Lewin’s sixth goal against the East Londoners and he is now just behind Tim Cahill (56), Duncan Ferguson (60) and Romelu Lukaku (68) in the club’s Prem leading stakes.
On the hour mark, the two home centre-backs had another nightmare as they inexplicably allowed the run of Abdoulaye Doucoure straight through the middle of the pitch after Calvert-Lewin flicked a header forward.
Their blushes were only spared by the strong left hand of Areola, who managed to turn the effort round for a corner in magnificent fashion.
For the next 40 minutes or so, West Ham had just ONE shot on target – a wonderful scissor-kick by sub Said Benrahma that Pickford saved – but their afternoon ended on a sour note as the sun broke from the rainclouds.
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For Moyes’s side, who were booed off at full-time, this represents a THIRD straight defeat in eight days and only one league win in six outings now should raise concern.
To find out how the match unfolded minute by minute, be sure to check out our live blog here.
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