Source: Liverpool_Echo
David Moyes praises Yakubu after striker nets his first goal of the season
Yakubu Yobo 300[LNB]EVERTON boss David Moyes hopes Ayegbeni Yakubu's winner against Stoke can spark his strikers into life.[LNB]Yakubu scored his first goal since April - and the first by an Everton forward in the Premier League all season - to secure a 1-0 win over Tony Pulis' Potters at Goodison Park. Moyes has bemoaned the lack of goals from strikers but with Yakubu now off the mark, and Louis Saha continuing his recovery from injury by coming off the bench, the Scot expects things to improve.[LNB]'It is great for Yak to get the goal,' said Moyes, whose side are now unbeaten in five matches.[LNB]'If you work hard I think the supporters appreciate you and your team-mates appreciate you.[LNB] 'I think Yak has certainly improved his work and he is starting to feel more confident himself.[LNB]'It would be great if we could get back the old Yakubu.[LNB]'He is certainly getting much more like it and I think you can sense the crowd feel that way.[LNB]'I thought he held the ball up well, brought people into the game.[LNB]'He had a chance in the first half and I am sure he will be disappointed he didn't do better.[LNB]'You need your strikers to do something.[LNB]'Top clubs have strikers who do things to win games - Rooney, Drogba, Torres.[LNB]'We needed someone to do something today and it was Yak skipping past and rifling one home.'[LNB]Everton were made to work for their victory, which maintains their march up the table from the rock-bottom position they found themselves after six games.[LNB]The game did not warm up until it opened up in the second half.[LNB]Everton held the upper hand throughout and Yakubu struck the decisive blow after 67 minutes, but Ryan Shawcross and Matthew Etherington missed good chances for Stoke.[LNB]The Potters also had a goal disallowed when Tuncay was penalised for a foul on Leighton Baines as the ball was bundled over the line at the far post.
