Source: Liverpool_Echo
Anger as Everton FC's hopes of European football suffer major blow
THE last time Everton played at White Hart Lane the shirts were purple, this time it was the faces.[LNB]There was anger and frustration in equal measure as the Blues' hopes of securing European football next season suffered a major blow in the capital.[LNB]There was anger in the dugout and in the away end at the fact it took half this contest for them to shake off the mother of all hangovers following their Europa League exit.[LNB]And frustration that their gutsy second half fightback went unrewarded.[LNB]Everton ultimately paid the price for a lethargic opening 45 minutes during which goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Luka Modric left them with a mountain to climb.[LNB]After Yakubu netted early in the second half the Blues were transformed and threatened to turn an entertaining contest on its head.[LNB]Tottenham threw away a 2-0 lead at Goodison back in December when David Moyes' side rallied to force a draw. And Spurs were clearly petrified that lightning was about to strike twice as anxiety spread through their ranks.[LNB]Everton would have grabbed at least a point but for a nightmare miss from Landon Donovan. It was the American international's Ronnie Rosenthal moment as he somehow missed the target with the net gaping.[LNB]It was tough on Donovan who has been a big hit at Goodison since he arrived on loan from LA Galaxy in January. He didn't need telling that it had cost his side dearly.[LNB]The dejected look on his face as he walked away from the ground to catch a flight to Amsterdam for a midweek friendly with Holland said it all. Donovan was hurting and so were his team-mates.[LNB]They knew this was a golden opportunity to step up their bid for Europa League qualification. Victory would have put them just five points behind Tottenham with a game in hand. Defeat means Spurs have disappeared over the horizon.[LNB]February was always going to be a defining month and at the end of it Evertonians are left with a nagging feeling of what might have been.[LNB]It started with a derby defeat at Anfield when they failed to take advantage of a 10-man Liverpool side who were there for the taking.[LNB]The response was emphatic with wins over Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United fuelling the belief that there could be an exciting finale to the campaign.[LNB]But that bubble of optimism was burst by last Thursday's woeful display in Lisbon and yesterday's defeat delivered another reminder of their inconsistency.[LNB]When cast as the underdogs with nothing to lose Everton have excelled, but when the stakes are high and the pressure is on them to deliver they have fallen short.[LNB]A remarkable run will now be needed if they are going to avoid having nothing but pride to play for in the final weeks of the season.[LNB]Moyes had demanded a response following their European exit but all he got was more of the same.[LNB]Back in October, when the Blues wore a purple kit in support of Liverpool Unites, Everton were beaten 2-0 at Spurs in the Carling Cup.[LNB]After the game Moyes took a vow of silence in protest at the organisers' insistence they played just two days after a league clash at Bolton.[LNB]His side's first half display yesterday will have left him speechless in North London once again.[LNB]Hopes that the return of John Heitinga and Sylvain Distin would tighten up a defensive line which looked so shaky in Lisbon were swiftly dashed.[LNB]Everton were under the cosh from the start and the hesitancy of the two centre-backs contributed to Spurs' 11th minute opener.[LNB]When Defoe latched on to Tom Huddlestone's ball down the right and looked up to discover nobody had tracked his run he could hardly believe his luck.
