- Date:2008-02-09
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Goodison Park
- Attendance:36582
- Referee:Halsey, M
Live Commentary
90mins
It's finished and Jagielka's header on 62 minutes proves enough for Everton - they move four points clear of Liverpool in the race for fourth while Reading look set to slip into the bottom three.
86mins
Johnson, on the counter attack, should really have sealed it but he shoots into the side netting
84mins
James Harper then sees his shot strike the outside of the post as Reading push for an equaliser late on
83mins
Hunt finds Kebe but Jagielka's last-ditch tackle denies him a clear chance
81mins
Oster goes off now and is replaced by Jimmy Kebe for Reading
78mins
Vaughan has been good since coming on at half-time as time begins to run out for Reading
76mins
Vaughan's acrobatic effort is well saved by Hahnemann - that would have sealed it for Everton
75mins
Steve Coppell makes a change as Kitson is replaced by Shane Long
72mins
Kitson's cross is cleared by Lescott
70mins
Just about 20 minutes left now for Reading to get something from the game, or they could drop into the relegation zone
67mins
Arteta drives forward into the Reading box but his shot is blocked - Everton well on top now
64mins
The home side were just threatening before the goal and have been much better in the second half
62mins
Phil Jagielka's looping header puts Everton in front after Reading fail to deal with a corner
60mins
Everton have raised the tempo and the home fans respond
57mins
Doyle has two attempts in a minute but they're both wide as the Royals look for an opener
55mins
Lescott has been a good outlet for Everton and he breaks forward again but his cross is well claimed by Hahnemann
53mins
Another Shorey cross is cleared as Reading break this time
51mins
Vaughan has made an immediate impact and his surge forward and cross is almost turned home by Cahill - it's a much better game now
48mins
Lee Carsley drags an effort just wide now - both sides looking better at the start of the second 45
47mins
It's started brighter in the second half as Kitson's shot from distance flies wide
45mins
Moyes makes a change at the break, Manuel Fernandes replaced by James Vaughan
45mins
The second period is underway, it surely has to be better than the first
45mins
Still level at the break after a disappointing first half of few chances at Goodison Park
45mins
Almost half-time as Hunt fires a free-kick just over - the game has improved as it's gone on
44mins
Leon Osman breaks forward and plays in Tim Cahill but he can't control his shot and it's over
41mins
It's livened up belatedly as Johnson has a shot blocked now at the other end
38mins
Oster's shot is blocked well by Jagielka for a Reading corner from which Everton clear - the visitors on top
36mins
Matejovsky fires an effort wide from the edge of the area - Reading continue to take the game to Everton
35mins
Groans from the home fans - they're not happy with what they've seen so far
32mins
Reading break again and win a corner but Lescott clears
29mins
Reading are very comfortable so far and Everton, despite being in the hunt for fourth, have done very little
26mins
Shorey's cross is decent but Everton manage to clear
25mins
Arteta's corner is punched clear by Hahnemann as Everton look to raise the tempo finally
23mins
John Oster, back playing against his old club, is caught offside - still a lack of chances at Goodison Park
20mins
Andrew Johnson's shot is easily gathered by Marcus Hahnemann
19mins
Joleon Lescott goes forward with pace out wide but his cross is poor and Reading clear
16mins
Everton have had slightly more possession so far but have done absolutely nothing with it and the game is scrappy
14mins
Doyle seems to be OK and is back on before he then fouls Phil Jagielka
12mins
Kevin Doyle has picked up an injury after being caught by Yobo and will need treatment
10mins
Moyes will be disappointed with this start - Everton look all over the place while Reading have been impressive
8mins
Reading have started well while Everton look sluggish so far
5mins
Nicky Shorey's cross is headed over by Dave Kitson as the visitors look for what would be a shock early lead
4mins
Marek Matejovsky fouls Lee Carsley but Mikel Arteta's free-kick is cleared
3mins
Both sides just settling into the game early on
0mins
The game gets underway at Goodison Park as Everton look to surge further ahead of Liverpool in the race for fourth
0mins
Everton boss David Moyes has dropped Yakubu after he returned late from the African Nations Cup but Joseph Yobo is back. Two changes for Reading - in come Ibrahima Sonko and John Oster for Ivar Imgimarsson and Leroy Lita
Match Preview
Fourth-placed Everton continue their bid to clinch a top-four finish for the second time in four seasons when they entertain a Reading side that has still to win away from home this term.
Toffees boss David Moyes will be relieved to have Yakubu available again as his side has missed the Nigeria international, who has been on Africa Cup of Nations duty for the last month.
The 25-year-old former Middlesbrough striker's last appearance for Everton came in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Chelsea and Moyes' side have found the net only three times in five matches since.
Successive goalless draws against Tottenham and Blackburn have maintained their Champions League challenge but, with Liverpool stuttering, two wins would have put some daylight between Moyes' side and their Merseyside rivals.
Steven Pienaar has returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty with an ankle injury that is likely to keep him sidelined until next week at the earliest, but apart from the South Africa international, Moyes has no injury or suspension concerns.
Reading's dismal home defeat to Bolton Wanderers last weekend saw Steve Coppell's side slip to 17th in the table, only one point above the bottom three, and they have now failed to win any of their last eight matches.
They have taken only two points in that sequence and there is a real danger that their two-year stay in English football's top-flight could come to an end in May.
Michael Duberry (knee), Glen Little (Achilles) and Brynjar Gunnarsson (groin) once again miss out, while Jimmy Kebe is a doubt after the midweek reserve team clash against Portsmouth's second string was postponed.
The January transfer window capture has been struggling with a hamstring injury and Coppell wanted him to prove his fitness in the reserves.
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Match Report
Everton consolidated their place among the Champions League positions, but David Moyes' side needed a defender to snatch the game from a battling Reading.
With no win in their last six, Reading were clear underdogs as they took on an Everton side unbeaten this year.
A slow moving first half saw the home side on the back foot as Reading went with two strikers upfront with Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle.
Steve Coppell's formation almost had an immediate impact with the visitors having a good chance in the first two minutes
A well driven 25-yard free-kick by Stephen Hunt saw keeper Tim Howard down quickly to his left to smother the ball just inside the post.
Everton took a while to get into a game but the 15th minute brought what looked a clear penalty claim after a crouching Tim Cahill flicked the ball directly onto the right arm of centre half Ibrahima Sonko, only for referee Mark Halsey to wave play on.
The best chance of the half fell to the home side when good link up play between Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman took the ball round the back of the Reading defence, but a low fizzing cross to Cahill could only see the Aussie blast over the bar.
Both teams could have broken the deadlock in first half stoppage-time with a John Oster free-kick and a Cahill header both clipping the roof of the net.
Within minutes of the restart, 19-year-old substitute James Vaughan chased down what looked a lost cause and skilfully skipped around the legs of Sonko and played a dangerous ball right across the face of goal and only inches off the toes of Cahill.
The Toffees looked more like a top-four side as they started to pile the pressure on struggling Reading team and the deadlock was broken on the hour mark after an Arteta corner was headed away by centre forward Kitson.
The clearance only went as far as Osman, who beat the offside trap with a high looping ball to Phil Jagielka who nodded past a stranded Marcus Hahnemann in the Reading goal.
Turning on the style, the home side could have doubled their lead on 75 minutes as substitute Vaughan got his body behind an awkwardly bouncing ball on the edge of the box and perfectly executed a bicycle kick which brought out the best of Hahnemann.
An exciting end to the game had both sets of fans on their feet as Reading's best chance of the match fell to substitute Jimmy Kebe on 84 minutes.
The lanky forward was quicker to the challenge than left-back Joleon Lescott and worked himself an opening inside the box, but his shot was blocked by a last-ditch lunge from Phil Jagielka.
In the same attack, Reading saw another penalty claim waved away by the referee, this time for handball against Lee Carsley.
Everton Team
Reading Team
Everton | Reading |
Corners
| 8 | 8 |
Fouls
| 13 | 13 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 14 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 8 |
Offsides
| 0 | 1 |



88mins
Graeme Murty's shot is blocked - it's very open with just a few minutes left