WITH an uncanny knack of plucking rough diamonds from the lower leagues, manager David Moyes may have viewed Saturday’s trip to Norwich a scouting mission, as much a pre-season tune-up.
A timely reminder of his proven track record for spotting a bargain was Tim Cahill’s hat-trick in the 4-2 victory at Carrow Road but the performance of the home side’s attacking contingent in particular may well have interested Moyes as much as this entertaining summer run out.
Pre-season offers little insight into the campaign ahead; the excellent following from Merseyside at the weekend will not have seen much new from their players.
Mikel Arteta was smooth in possession coupled with classy movement, Steven Pienaar typically busy on the wing and Phil Neville quietly vital to everything Everton achieve.
At the back, a customary defensive lapse from Joseph Yobo will not have surprised too many of the Blue army though fortunately goalkeeper Tim Howard spared his blushes with two smothering saves of the highest order at the feet of Wes Hoolahan.
Had the City forward kept his composure in the 79th minute and made it 4-3, Paul Lambert’s men would have been backed to level the scores once again but the resolve which Moyes and the Everton fans know so well, remains with the side, even in the friendly occasions.
For despite fortuitously taking a sixth minute lead when Norwich keeper John Ruddy, signed from Goodison Park this summer, handed his former side a parting gift when allowing Cahill’s weak effort to squirm underneath his body, the Carrow Road side were by far the dominant force in the opening half.
The triple attacking threat of Simeon Jackson, Hoolahan and Chris Martin provided last season’s League One champions with the ammunition to cause Everton’s central defensive pairing real headaches.
Norwich’s pressure was slowly building as the half approached its mid point and Hoolahan’s deflected effort flashed wide on 25 before Martin’s free-kick from the edge of the area whistled past the post.
The City striker prodded marginally wide five minutes later from right in front of Howard’s goal as the pacey forays forward of Lambert’s men made Tony Hibbert and Sylvain Distin thankful for the gruelling pre-season fitness work their manager forced upon them.
When given a respite and Everton were in control, Moyes’ men played patiently in front of stubborn home defending, refusing to waste the ball despite playful cries of ‘shoot’ from the travelling support hoping for a second Ruddy gaff of the afternoon.
But for all Arteta’s neat footwork and ability to engineer time and space on the ball, Everton would double their lead by capitalising on a Norwich error once more.
Jermaine Beckford picked the pocket of a ponderous Elliot Ward before interchanging with Arteta and Cahill.
The Australian eventually latched onto Arteta’s chipped ball into the area, had his first effort blocked by Ruddy but nodded home the rebound to make it 2-0; somewhat against the run of play.
An exciting and youthful Norwich side, which also included lively showings from Andrew Surman and Andrew Crofts, refused to back down in the face of losing a second goal just before the break and stormed out after the interval.
Pulling a goal back two minutes into the second half when Andrew Crofts profited from static marking to power thunderous header beyond Howard, City mounted a recovery.
Twelve minutes later and the scores were level, as Norwich caught Everton napping again when Surman collected a routine throw-in, cut into the area with ease and fired with accuracy past Howard.
Game on it seemed, but Everton responded immediately with the strike of the game courtesy of substitute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.
Collecting a neat back-heel from Pienaar, the Russian winger found the top left hand corner of Ruddy’s goal with swerve and power from the edge of the area to make the scores 3-2 on the hour.
The spark which had lit up Norwich’s play somewhat fizzled out after the third Everton goal and 10 minutes later Cahill rubber stamped the win with his third, and best, goal of the afternoon.
Neville’s chip into the box evaded the City defenders allowing Cahill to chest down, flick sublimely over the advancing Ruddy before hammering the ball home from close range.
Grant Holt’s introduction for the home side briefly threatened to stir a revival in Norwich but they ultimately ran out of steam and had Ruddy to thank for keeping the deficit to just two goals as he saved well from late replacement Jack Rodwell.
Everton added another victory to their pre-season campaign at Carrow Road and perhaps the names of some future players.
