EPL: Everton 2-0 Bolton

[Evertonscouser]

Daily Mail

Everton manager David Moyes praised Phil Neville as the club captain shrugged off a bout of sickness to score his first goal of the season.

The former Manchester United defender made the breakthrough in the 52nd minute in the 2-0 Barclays Premier League victory against Bolton at Goodison Park.

Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was put off by the presence of Tim Cahill as Neville swung the ball in from the right and saw it go behind him and into the net.

Cahill then added a second in the 70th minute as Everton bounced back after seeing their 13-match unbeaten run come to an end at the hands of Manchester United on Sunday.

Neville featured in all but three minutes of the game and Moyes said: "He was up all night with sickness and it was only at 11am he was cleared to play.

"That is why we took him off. He wasn't well at all.

"You have to give him credit. He played well in the circumstances.

"As for the goalkeeper, Tim has gone and attacked the ball.

"The goalkeeper hit Tim, not the other way around and it flies into far end of net. We are delighted."

Moyes told his side at half time to up the tempo after they were left frustrated by Bolton and they responded.

Cahill's goal - his seventh in 13 games in all competitions - came after Thomas Gravesen had been brought down by Gavin McCann.

Referee Rob Styles played the advantage and Bolton were caught cold.

The ball broke to Joleon Lescott and he played it back into the middle where Cahill made no mistake.

Moyes said: "When I saw Tommy go down, I thought it was a free-kick on the edge of box.

"But the first rule you are taught is to play to the whistle and we kept going.

"It was a good advantage from the referee and we are pleased with the victory. We showed no reaction to that defeat by United.

"We just needed to speed up the play and move the ball a bit faster and we did that in the second half."

Bolton have yet to win on the road in the league and manager Gary Megson admitted his team had been second best.

He refused to criticise Styles for what their supporters saw as two mistakes by the official which led to the two goals.

Megson said: "For the first one Jussi has come for the ball and he has not made contact with it.

"Often you see these things given as a foul on the goalkeeper.

"For the second when Gravesen went down the ball went to Lescott via Gravesen's arm.

"Whether it was intentional or not... it did not cost us the game.

"We cannot say we have lost because of two contentious refereeing decisions. We have played poorly.

"Everton are an exceptional side. They pushed us back and we were camped in our half.

"It was probably more luck than judgement that we went in at half-time still level. But nothing worked for us."

[NJ10]

Best side in the league right now arguably. Cahill is a goal machine and the Yak has become an immense player for yas.