Source: Daily_Mail
Burnley 1 Everton 0: Elliott and Saha penalty gaffe add to Moyes' agony
The same fate had befallen the defending champions only four days earlier, but that was scant consolation for David Moyes as he surveyed a calamitous start to the season for his Everton side at Turf Moor yesterday.
While Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson could afford to be generous in defeat, safe in the knowledge his title-winning machine had suffered a rare malfunction, Moyes wore a worried frown that betrayed his depth of concern at the events of the past week.
Eager for a response to last week's Goodison Park humiliation by Arsenal, the Everton manager was forced to concede that Thursday's Europa League win over Sigma Olomouc may just have been a false dawn as newly promoted Burnley forced the pace throughout.
Louis Saha
Heavy penalty: Louis Saha can't believe his miss at Turf Moor
Second best for the second time in a week was cause enough for concern, but Moyes' woes were further compounded when he finally lost the battle to keep Joleon Lescott from Manchester City's clutches and forlornly admitted the £23million fee would be left burning a hole in his pocket.
Moyes has made his name confronting adversity, but it will take all his resolve to turn Everton's fortunes round after a defeat that was, in its way, almost as demoralising as against Arsenal.
Everton are propping up the Barclays Premier League without a point to their name, and with their defensive resources pared to the bone, after succumbing to a 34th-minute goal by Wade Elliott.
Wade Elliott
Matchwinner: Wade Elliott wheels away after his goal
They were counting themselves fortunate not to have lost by a heavier margin. While Burnley hit the bar in the first minute and brought the best out of Tim Howard on more than one occasion, Everton mustered little other than a 75th-minute penalty miss by Louis Saha.
There are echoes of the past everywhere at Turf Moor, from Harry Potts Way on the approach to the stadium to the Jimmy McIlroy Stand behind one of the goals.
With Owen Coyle at the helm, though, attention is increasingly focusing on the future and whether the Burnley manager can go one better than last season's spectacular achievement by staying up.
The early evidence suggests they can, after Wednesday's famous 1-0 win was followed up by a repeat scoreline that hardly did justice to their supremacy.
Andre Bikey holds off Everton's Leon Osman
Battle: Andre Bikey holds off Everton's Leon Osman
They set the tone after just 40 seconds, when Martin Paterson headed Stephen Jordan's cross against the bar and Steven Fletcher hammered the rebound against Howard's knees.
Ominously for Moyes, there was little evidence of Everton heeding Burnley's early statement of intent as Paterson steered another close-range header narrowly wide soon after and Elliott raised the roof with a 34th-minute breakthrough.
Burnley's Wembley hero had a swing and a miss at Blake's driven cross but made no mistake when Fletcher retrieved it and unselfishly teed him up, a curling effort beyond Howard's despairing dive on its way into the top corner.
match facts
Howard was at full stretch to deny Chris McCann in the 62nd minute, and the Burnley midfielder was left holding his head again 13 minutes later after harshly being judged to have tripped Tony Hibbert as the Everton right back charged into the area.
McCann appeared to pull out of the tackle, and argued his case vehemently, but it scarcely mattered as Saha dragged the spot-kick wide of the right-hand post to sum up Everton's mounting misery.
While Moyes sat stony-faced afterwards and tried to build a case for Everton deserving some reward for inching their way back into contention after being run ragged early on, Coyle provided a telling insight into Burnley's growing belief that they belong among the elite.
Reminded that his next two fixtures take him to Stamford Bridge and Anfield, admittedly after a Carling Cup engagement with Hartlepool, the Burnley manager said: 'There will be no fear about facing Chelsea and Liverpool. Chelsea are first up, and we have every respect for the quality they have.
'But we will look to go there and play our normal game. We will try to play to our strengths, and that means pressing forward whenever we can.
'Everton did not cut us open too often, and I honestly believe we were the better team, so we have plenty to be confident about.'
