Everton 2 Charlton Ath 1:While Everton fans probably feel sufficiently confident to start dusting down their European atlases, Charlton's worries about renewing unwelcome acquaintances in Colchester and Coventry have been cruelly revived.
Just when Alan Pardew's side appeared to have secured a valuable point, James McFadden's brilliantly executed and wonderfully audacious stoppage-time volley guaranteed Charlton a long, depressing journey home. It was some winner though. McFadden intercepted Madjid Bougherra's attempt at chesting Gary Naysmith's cross clear by flicking the ball over him before advancing and striking it on the volley as it dropped. Small wonder Scott Carson was left helpless and his side stayed third bottom.
Despite wearing a black tie Pardew, whose side entertain Sheffield United in a vital game on Saturday, refused to be entirely sombre. "McFadden's produced a great bit of skill - how do you defend against that? - but it was a fantastic effort from us. We had some great chances and leave deeply disappointed but with our spirit intact.
"Our performance shows we can survive, we can take a lot of strength from it," continued a man always prone to accentuating the positives. "Other weekend results have not gone great for us but I still feel my team has a lot to say between now and the end of the season."
Unbeaten in their previous seven Premiership matches, Charlton had conceded a first goal in five when Mikel Arteta's late free kick was half-cleared only for McFadden, a second-half replacement for the disappointing James Beattie, to lash the ball back towards goal, allowing Andrew Johnson to unleash a volley that Carson could merely parry into Joleon Lescott's path. From close range, Everton's left-back hooked home what appeared the winner.
It was a dangerous assumption as, in the final minute of normal time, Matt Holland flicked a header into the path of Darren Bent, who cleverly out-manoeuvred two defenders before directing a right-foot shot into the bottom corner.
With Bent near-anonymous in a cautious first half, having been heavily involved in either creating or missing a handful of Charlton chances on the counter-attack in the second period, a draw seemed a fair result but McFadden - not to mention his manager - had vastly different ideas.
"I think we thoroughly deserved three points; we were always trying to score," said David Moyes, somewhat pointedly. Often criticised for his substitutions, Everton's manager was delighted that two of yesterday's, Naysmith and McFadden, were so deeply involved in securing victory.
Most of the early dynamism came from Everton, who almost scored an early goal when Leon Osman cut in from the right and unleashed a curling left foot shot which would surely have beaten Carson had it not taken a deflection off Talal El Karkouri which diverted it just wide.
Bent very nearly conjured a goal courtesy of a clever flick from which Zheng Zhi, five yards out, missed the afternoon's easiest chance. Pardew could hardly believe his eyes, but far worse was to follow.
Guardian Service
