West Brom 1 Everton 1

Pepe Mel talked about “happy endings” when he was unveiled as West Bromwich Albion’s head coach last week, and that choice of words provided a reasonable description of the part-time novelist’s first game in charge. After a disappointing start against an Everton side who looked set to secure the victory that would have lifted them back into the top four courtesy of Kevin Mirallas’s first-half goal, Albion recovered to pick up a valuable point.

Diego Lugano, making a rare appearance in the centre of the Albion defence, chose a good night to open his account for the club. With 75 minutes gone and Albion looking increasingly desperate, James Morrison created a yard of space where there appeared to be none on the right-hand side of the penalty area and delivered a perfect centre that Lugano met with a superb diving header.

Mel clenched his fists and Albion had the point that they arguably deserved on the back of a much improved second-half performance, during which Nicolas Anelka, who is expected to be charged by the Football Association today for the anti-semitic gesture he made at West Ham United last month, left the field to rich applause from the home fans.

Mel, who was given a warm ovation when he strolled on to the pitch before the game, had promised Albion’s supporters that they would see a “different” team. The Spaniard wanted his players to press higher up the pitch and adopt a more aggressive approach. If those tactics were in keeping with a man schooled in La Liga, it was a little surprising that Mel opted to set Albion up in an old-fashioned 4-4-2, especially against an Everton side that look to dominate possession.

Everton opened up Albion with alarming ease at times during the first half and only the absence of a more ruthless touch in front of goal prevented the visitors from taking the lead earlier in the game. When the breakthrough did arrive, it was a relatively simple goal from Everton’s point of view.

Sylvain Distin, returning to the side following a three-game absence following a hamstring injury, floated a ball into the left channel that Romelu Lukaku, getting above Jonas Olsson, flicked on. Mirallas, who was deployed in a central role behind Lukaku, read the striker’s intentions and ran off the back of Lugano. The Belgian left Lugano in his wake and took a touch before planting a right-footed shot, from about 12 yards, inside Ben Foster’s near post.

The frustration for Albion was that they were enjoying arguably their best spell at that point and Everton had lost the impetus that made them such a threat in the opening half an hour. As early as the fifth minute there was a sign that Albion might be vulnerable to the ball in behind. Lukaku escaped in the left channel from another Distin pass but, with Foster dashing off his line, the Everton forward lofted his shot wide of the target.

It was a sign of things to come for Albion in a disjointed start to the game. Bryan Oviedo, given far too much time and space by the Albion defence, squandered two half-chances in the space of a couple of minutes, while Mirallas and James McCarthy were both guilty of shooting too close to Foster. Those Everton opportunities all arrived inside the first 20 minutes. Séamus Coleman had another when he was denied by Foster at the far post 10 minutes later.

Having emerged from that period unscathed, Albion started to play with a touch more belief and had a decent opportunity to open the scoring when Anelka played a fine reverse pass to set Zoltan Gera free. Coming in off the right flank, Gera found himself through on goal but his left-footed shot, from just inside the area, was comfortably repelled by Tim Howard.

With Matej Vydra struggling to have any impact on the game, the Czech Republic forward was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Victor Anichebe. The change almost brought instant reward for Albion when James Morrison’s pass released Anelka on the right. The Frenchman looked up before picking out Anichebe’s run towards the near post but Phil Jagielka tracked his former Everton team-mate’s movement and did enough to prevent the striker from getting much purchase on his attempt to turn the ball home.

When Youssouf Mulumbu – a surprise omission from the starting XI – was introduced later in the half, the change in formation to a bold 4-1-3-2 seemed to be lost in translation for a while as Mel had several attempts at trying to get across his message. He eventually got the response he wanted, though, when Morrison wriggled free on the right and, despite the close attention of Leighton Baines and McCarthy, whipped a cross that Lugano met with an emphatic header.

Worryingly, for Everton and Ireland fans alike, full-back Coleman was withdrawn late with a hamstring strain.

“It’s not a good sign but we’ll give him 24 hours before making any conclusions,” Martinez told Sky Sports afterwards.

Guardian Service