Everton v Sunderland 30/11/96 3.00Everton (0) 1 Sunderland (0) 3 FT Ferguson 64 Russell 54 Bridges 74,87 Peter Reid's Sunderland halted his old side Everton's eight-match unbeaten run as they carved out a shock win at Goodison Park. Sunderland had not scored on their travels since August, but made ample amends today, two of their goals going to 18-year-old England youth star Michael Bridges in a gritty performance that richly deserved the three points. Sunderland went ahead after 54 minutes, Alex Rae crossing from the right to allow Craig Russell to capitalise on slack marking and head home. But nine minutes later Everton's Duncan Ferguson - a second-half substitute for the injured Tony Grant - rose to equalise with a magnificent header from Andy Hinchcliffe's corner. After 74 minutes, though, Sunderland were in front again, Bridges coming off the substitutes' bench to head home Paul Bracewell's cross as keeper Neville Southall appeared to slip. And three minutes from time Sunderland made the points safe when they raced up field in a three-man break. Michael Gray put Steve Agnew through for a shot that Southall did well to block. Gray followed up to shoot, but Southall scrambled to his feet to save again, only for Bridges to latch on to the rebound and lash it joyfully into the roof of the net. Everton could have few complaints with the scoreline as Sunderland had enjoyed the lion's share of the chances even in a forgettable first half. Bracewell pulled a 20-yard shot just wide in the second minute against the club he and Reid shared such midfield glory for in the mid-1980s. Kevin Ball saw a low shot creep under Southall's body, but the veteran Welsh international recovered to retrieve the ball and performed heroics later to block at the feet of Rae from Martin Smith's through ball. The second half began explosively, with Everton winning a penalty after just 40 seconds, when Graham Stuart was fouled. Stuart took the kick himself, but keeper Lionel Perez dived to save and Joe Parkinson's follow-up header looped wide. Russell saw a shot rebound off the inside of the post with Southall beaten, while Everton's own young teenage England star, Michael Branch - a second-half substitute for Andrei Kanchelskis - was unlucky to see a deflected shot skim the bar. 
Everton: (4-4-2) Southall, Barrett, Watson, Unsworth, Hinchcliffe (Short, 80), Kanchelskis (Branch, 62), Parkinson, Grant (Ferguson, 52), Speed, Stuart, Barmby. Subs not used: Gerrard, Hottiger. Booked: Grant. Sunderland: (4-4-2) Perez, Hall, Ball, Scott, Melville, Kubicki, Bracewell, Smith (Gray, 76), Russell (Bridges, 70), Rae (Agnew, 82), Kelly. Subs not used: Preece, Aiston. Booked: Bracewell, Ball, Gray. Attendance: 40,087. Referee: P Jones (Loughborough). |
