Everton 4 AEK Athens 0: Saha's red card takes the gloss off glory night

18 September 2009 01:22
Louis Saha cast a shadow over an historic night for David Moyes with a senseless injury-time sending off that marred a spectacular start to Everton's Europa League campaign.[LNB] The Everton striker faces a three-match ban for violent conduct after tussling for a freekick inside the AEK Athens area and pushing his fist into the face of his marker Juanfran.[LNB] Clinical finish: Jo strikes Everton's fourth[LNB]Referee Robert Malek needed no guidance from the extra official behind the goal to brandish a red card and send Saha on a shamefaced walk towards the tunnel, seconds from the end of a victory every bit as emphatic as the scoreline suggests.[LNB] Moyes will be incensed at his striker's inexplicable loss of control, and its consequences for the rest of the group games, at a time when the points were in the bag.[LNB] It took some of the gloss off an achievement by the Scot that underlines the impact he has made since arriving from Preston seven-and-a-half years ago. Three first-half goals and another late on from Jo gave Moyes his 11th win in Europe and equalled the record set by Harry Catterick in the halcyon days of the Sixties.[LNB] Moyes was busy in the transfer market before kick-off, completing the signing of former West Ham right back Lucas Neill and allowing James Vaughan to join Derby.[LNB] Neill passed a medical and put his name to a £40,000-a-week contract until the end of the season, while Vaughan is on loan until January. Moyes can also draw satisfaction from the impact of another new boy. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov made short work of dismantling the threat of AEK Athens in a onesided opening group game.[LNB] Two's up: Distin (second right) doubles Everton's lead[LNB]The �9million capture from Lokomotiv Moscow is renowned for his accurate left foot, and it was easy to see why as AEK's defence was breached twice in quick succession by pinpoint corners before he laid on a third goal for Steven Pienaar.[LNB] AEK had no answer and allowed their frustration to spill over in the 55th minute, when Carlos Araujo recklessly aimed his studs at Sylvain Distin and was shown a straight red card for catching the defender in the midriff.[LNB] They were already a beaten side by then after Everton made light of their injury worries, and early Barclays Premier League failings, to establish total command inside the opening 17 minutes. After pushing a Pienaar shot round a post in the 10th minute, keeper Sebastian Saja could only watch Bilyaletdinov's curling corner sail over his head to an unmarked Joseph Yobo, who made no mistake with a close-range header.[LNB] Another Bilyaletdinov flag-kick was AEK's undoing again in the 17th minute, as Marouane Fellaini helped it on and Distin swept it home at the far post. Everton's recent signing had good cause to be pleased after going 96 games without a single goal in his Portsmouth days.[LNB] [LNB] Bright start: Yobo (left) heads Everton's opener[LNB] [LNB]Still Bilyaletdinov was not finished, putting AEK to the sword as he squared a pass to Pienaar in the 37th minute and saw his fellow midfielder provide another reminder of his ingenuity. There appeared to be nothing on, and the same thought must have crossed Pienaar's mind as he looked up and assessed the options. There were not any, so he calmly drilled a low drive beyond a startled Saja from 25 yards.[LNB] AEK had a couple of optimistic long-range efforts that failed to trouble Tim Howard, and Moyes could even afford to rest Tim Cahill at half-time, sending on Leon Osman as substitute.[LNB] His next change was enforced as Bilyaletdinov hobbled off in obvious discomfort from what looked like a groin problem. It did little to disrupt Everton's attacking flow, though, as they continued to stretch an overworked AEK rearguard and, with Jack Rodwell again looking mature beyond his years, they threatened more goals.[LNB] Shame: Louis Saha is sent off by referee Robert Malek[LNB] Rodwell had a shot saved and Saha had a shot blocked after a brilliant turn, before blazing over from close range. A fourth goal always looked on the cards and duly arrived in the 82nd minute, as Saha laid on an opening that Jo gratefully converted.[LNB] The Brazilian has had his critics this season but thoroughly deserved his first goal of the season after persevering throughout. [LNB] GRAHAM POLL: It's all Greek to me, but refereeing experiment reveals the joy of sixEverton sign ex-West Ham and Blackburn defender Neill on a freeEverton taking 'Chilean Cristiano Ronaldo' Nicolas Millan on trialEVERTON FC

Source: Daily_Mail