Everton harbour ambitions of bringing European football to Hill Dickinson Stadium next season and a first Premier League win at their new home in seven attempts will increase the optimism. The hosts were effective, rather than magnificent, against a woefully poor Burnley but the result is all that matters.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are the next three visitors to Everton, so goals from James Tarkowski and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were essential as they looked to build momentum. It was only Everton’s fifth win in 15 league games since leaving Goodison Park, helping solidify their position in eighth, which could be good enough for continental qualification come the end of the season.
“I think we’ve actually played quite well here,” Moyes said of Everton’s home form. “We’ve not won and that can happen in the Premier League. If we don’t win there’ll be some manager in the future and there’ll be some great teams here hopefully. The supporters will see some great Everton teams going forward and hopefully some teams that win trophies as well.”
There was zero entertainment in the early exchanges, which mainly consisted of Everton contemplating ways of defeating the Burnley low block, only to realise they lacked any creativity. There were a few corners thrown into the box without success and it was understandable why the atmosphere was completely flat.
It was highly unlikely that a goal would come from open play. Finally there was a quality delivery from Everton, when James Garner swung a free-kick to the back post for the former Claret Tarkowski to head into the corner for his first goal in over a year, thanks to some inept marking. “He’s [Tarkowski] always getting stick from me because he never scores,” Moyes said. “Tonight he got his goal and I think he’s smiling at me because I’m always on about it.”
Burnley are shackled by Scott Parker’s ultra-conservative football. Infrequent forays into Everton’s half brought little except losses of possession. Tarkowski had more to do in the opposition box than his own, showing the bluntness of the Championship-bound visitors, who are eight points adrift with nine games to play.
Dwight McNeil built on his fine performance at Newcastle with another impressive outing. He was at the heart of the positive parts of Everton’s play, providing the energy when there were lulls, and earned the appreciation of the crowd when he was withdrawn.
There was no newfound purpose from Burnley, instead they did their best to end the ‘contest’ when Bashir Humphreys decided dribbling in his own half was a good idea, only to be dispossessed. Idrissa Gueye ran through but delayed passing to Iliman Ndiaye until he was offside, making the goal null and void. The disallowed effort at least showed that Everton had some hidden spark. It was further displayed when Ndiaye slipped a pass through to Dewsbury-Hall, who calmly dinked the ball over Martin Dubravka. Burnley overturned a three-goal deficit at the weekend against Brentford, only to lose, but even the most optimistic Lancastrian could not have envisaged a comeback here.
Everton were given as much of the ball as they liked as they attempted to add a flourish to a professional performance. Gueye rattled the bar from the edge of the box but a third did not arrive.
The away end screamed “You don’t know what you’re doing” at Parker when he withdrew Hannibal Mejbri, one of the few who still looks committed to this lost cause. Burnley’s first shot on target came in the 79th minute via a powerless Jaidon Anthony drive, earning derision from all sides. “I understand the fans’ frustrations,” Parker said. “We brought nothing to the game.”
Everton had no problems seeing the game out to secure a first triumph here in almost three months. They will not benefit from having such friendly visitors again but they more than got the job done as they try to make the stadium their home.
