Everton v Crystal Palace 09/08/97 3.00

Everton                 (0) 1 Crystal Palace          (1) 2 FT
Ferguson 85                   Lombardo 36
                              Dyer 77 (pen)

Now there's another Italian to grace the FA Carling Premiership.

We've seen what Zola, Di Matteo and Vialli have managed to achieve at Chelsea, but this time it's Crystal Palace's 31-year-old Attilio Lombardo who is set to take the English game by storm.

The balding former Juventus star, cruelly described on local radio by former Everton striker Duncan McKenzie as ``only here to improve his pension'', looked anything but an old-timer on the make after he had settled into the pace of the game, as Palace ruined Howard Kendall's league homecoming at Goodison Park.

For the first 20 minutes or so he was by-passed by the pace even if he was clearly at home in the searing heat.

But when he finally got into the match his grace and style caused Everton all sorts of problems.

Lombardo scored the first and caused stand-in defender Graham Stuart to concede the penalty which finally sunk Everton.

Duncan Ferguson, fresh from signing a new five-year contract, did manage to pull one back at the death, but frankly it would have been a crime if Palace had not marked their return to the top flight with victory.

They had defended in depth and with great calmness and had managed to hit everything on the break far too often for Kendall's peace of mind.

The Everton boss has failed to sign the big-name stars during the summer Croatian Slaven Bilic was already set up before he arrived. Instead, he has brought in the likes of Tony Thomas, John Oster and Gareth Farrelly hardly players to have set the pulses racing on the blue heart of Merseyside.

But he would still have hoped for a better performance than this. Over the last few seasons Everton have languished towards the bottom of the table, desperately fought off relegation and were praying for a new dawn by Kendall's return.

But the performance lacked guile and skill and showed very little midfield ability. Everton's fans, as they left the ground, could envisage no more than another season of struggle.

Kendall is hoping to complete the signing of Danny Williamson from West Ham this week, with David Unsworth going in the opposite direction. Williamson is a bright attacking young midfielder, just the sort of player that was so lacking as Everton toiled in the sun today.

The Toffees relied far too much on the height and strength of Ferguson, and his headed goal five minutes from time from Stuart's cross was about the only serious attempt on goal the Blues managed all afternoon.

Palace started with great energy, but it was Everton who appeared to be taking control in the first half even though they created very little to justify any thoughts of a comfortable victory.

Then after 34 minutes, Lombardo, who had been quiet until this point, snapped up a Paul Warhurst pass to slip the ball clinically under Neville Southall.

Thomas didn't come out after the break, forcing Stuart into defence at right back and young Michael Branch on up front. Stuart then managed to get himself booked within minutes of the restart for a foul on Lombardo.

The left flank was to be Everton's Achilles heel, and the second goal came from this avenue. Lombardo got in behind Stuart and when the little red head managed to get back and tackle all he could do was fell the Italian in the box for an obvious penalty that Bruce Dyer drove home.

Kendall threw on Nicky Barmby, as Everton became increasingly desperate but they rarely troubled Kevin Miller, although he did have to be strong and forceful in the air to combat the menace of Ferguson.

The big Scot finally got the ball in the net with a header with five minutes to go, but it was too little too late and Everton were off to the worst possible start to their season.

Palace, though, will take great confidence in this. Andy Linighan had an excellent game in the centre of defence as well as David Tuttle, and manager Steve Coppell saw his side grow in confidence.

Everton: Southall, Watson, Phelan, Stuart, Ferguson, Speed, Thomsen (Barmby, 64), Farrelly, Oster (Short, 87), Bilic, Thomas (Branch, 46).

Subs not used: Barrett, Gerrard.

Booked: Bilic, Stuart.

Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Roberts, Tuttle, Linighan, Muscat, Warhurst (Fullarton, 77), Dyer (Shipperley, 81), Rodger, Lombardo (Veart, 81).

Subs not used: Nash, Hreidarsson.

Booked: Warhurst, Rodger, Tuttle, Linighan, Dyer.

Attendance: 35,716.

Referee: S W Dunn (Bristol).

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