Yakubu on target

Nigeria forwad, Yakubu Ayegbeni, yesterday, was on target for his London club, Everton, but the goal was not enough to avert a 2-1 loss to red-hot Tottenham in an English Premiership match played at White Hart Lane.

Everton kicked-off with Yakubu spearheading the attack in front of a five-man midfield with Victor Anichebe and Steven Pienaar in the wide positions. Jack Rodwell started in central midfield after scoring in the win against United last week. Everton were pinned back — Phil Neville picked up an early yellow card after upending Gareth Bale — and Spurs soon grabbed the vital opening goal.

Everton made a switch at half-time with Phil Jagielka on for Leon Osman but they stayed 4-5-1 with Heitinga stepping into a holding midfield role. The Dutchman soon fired a shot that Gomes took cleanly diving to his right.

Spurs hardly had time to adjust when Everton pulled a goal back. Arteta struck a deep corner, Rodwell climbed well at the far post to head back and Yakubu squeezed the ball home at the near post.

Spurs were soon back on top with a fanastic 10-minute spell. Palacios led a break that ended with Tim Howard beating away a fierce Pavlyuchenko shot and Bale somehow managed to dig out a cross from the byline that Niko Kranjcar won at the far post, but his header lacked the power to trouble the keeper.

The spell ended with a wonderful goal. Croatian trio as Kranjcar, Modric and Corluka played the ball around in a tight space on the right. Eventually Kranjcar fed Modric on the right edge, he drove forward a couple of yards before somehow pinging a shot home off the underside of the crossbar.