Everton and Watford share the spoils after a pulsating second-half

Everton 2 : 2 Watford

Watford held Everton to a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, and in doing so avoided a run of four straight league defeats.

Despite trailing at half time, they scored twice within 129 seconds to cancel out Richarlison’s first half opener against his former club. The Everton goal was somewhat controversial though, as Theo Walcott, making his 300 EPL appearance, was clearly offside when he moved the ball on.

In the second half however, an own goal by Everton’s Irish defender Seamus Coleman and a header from Abdoulaye Doucouré  gave the Hornets a 2-1 lead, which they in turn nearly surrendered immediately but Gylfi Sigurdsson’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Ben Foster’s legs. Lucas Digne equalised from a free kick in stoppage time.

Everton had no new injuries to deal with following their midweek draw with Newcastle United. Hornets’ boss Javi Gracia also had a clean bill of health.

The game was barely a minute old when the visitors threatened to open the scoring. Roberto Pereya collected a Troy Deeney pass before floating into the penalty area. His shot was tame and easily handled by Jordan Pickford who would have been under even more intense scrutiny following his error in the 1-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool.

Everton were the much more progressive side in the early stages of the game. The Brazilian duo of Richarlison and Bernard gave the Watford defensive ranks a lot to think about as they ran at them. Andre Gomes picked up where he had left off from recent weeks with another assertive performance in the centre of midfield.

And it was the on-loan Portugese who assisted the opening goal with a quarter of an hour. Albeit in controversial fashion. Gomes dribbled with the ball into the Watford penalty area and ended up with it after squeezing through a gap in the away side’s backline.

Hands were raised in protest for offside but referee Kevin Friend did not blow his whistle. Gomes then squared the ball to the waiting Richarlison who passed the ball into the back of the net to put the Toffees ahead.

Upon further inspection it would appear that the Hornets had a valid case for offside as Walcott had gently guided the ball into the path of Gomes from an offside position.

The hosts almost doubled their four minutes later as Richarlison slid in to meet a Lucas Digne cross. However excellent defending from Jose Holebas prevented a second goal.

Javi Gracia’s men continued to provide the hosts with reminders of their attacking prowess with Isaac Success looking the most likely of the away team to restore parity.

The Nigerian attacker was left incensed by a decision to not award a free-kick and a second yellow card to Yerry Mina for a shoulder charge. Mina had been booked for deliberate handball earlier in the half and was perhaps lucky to remain on the pitch after his tangle with the Watford winger.

The visitors continued to press in the second half and threatened to level before the hour. Deeney, Success and Christian Kabasele linked brilliantly down the left before the latter’s outside of the foot effort was pawed away by Pickford.

Five minutes later Watford got the equaliser their play richly deserved. The goal itself will be remembered for all of the wrong and humorous reasons. Pereyra burst into the box and lashed the ball against the post. Such was the velocity on the effort that it cannoned back off the woodwork only to hit an unsuspecting Coleman and trickle into the back of the net.

Everton barely had time to register what had just happened before they found themselves behind two minutes later.

Once again Pereyra was heavily involved as the former Juventus player drove to the byline before clipping a high ball into the box. Midfielder Doucoure arrived from deep and leaped highest to reach the cross before powering his header past a hapless Pickford to overturn a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 advantage.

A second-half that had exploded into life proceeded to get more chaotic.

The hosts were gifted the opportunity to level just two minutes later when Kabasele clattered into Mina from a corner. Kevin Friend pointed to the spot giving the hosts life.

Gylfi Sigurdsson was given the responsibility but his effort was saved by the outstretched foot of  Foster, intensifying the anxiety around Goodison Park.

Marco Silva’s side got their second wind though and almost got their second goal with 20 minutes to play.

Coleman barreled down the right and slid a low cross into the 12-yard area. Sigurdsson met the ball but was unable to sort his feet out. The ball eventually found Richarlison but before the former Watford man could get a shot away he was shepherded to safety.

With the Toffees almost out of hope, Digne stepped up and guided a 20-yard free-kick beautifully over the wall and past Foster to snatch a point deep into injury-time. E

Everton remain seventh and Watford inch up one space to 12th equal on points with West Ham and Brighton.

Watford host Cardiff City and visit West Ham next with two reasonably good chances to halt their recent decline. For Everton, the trip to face Manchester City won’t promise too many points but Spurs at home looks to be a very entertaining fixture thereafter.

Referee: Kevin Friend
Assistants: Simon Long, Derek Eaton
Fourth official: Lee Mason