The Everton supporters called for the Spirit of the Blues and the players duly delivered to secure top-flight football for a 70th successive season. The decisive moment came on 57 minutes when Abdoulaye Doucoure struck a quite superb goal to seal the victory Sean Dyche’s team desperately needed over Bournemouth to avoid a first relegation since 1951.
The pitch invasion was minimal this time. Neither was the manager dancing on top of the executive boxes. But there was still palpable relief flowing around Goodison Park. Everton did not heed the lessons from last season’s close shave with Premier League relegation but they at least learnt how to deliver in a crucial final home game with survival to play for.
With his stunning strike, Doucoure etched his name alongside Barry Horne, Graham Stuart and Gareth Farrelly as Everton last-day saviours. Whereas in 1994 and 1998 Everton were relying on events elsewhere, here they simply required a win to hold off Leicester City and Leeds United.
They may have achieved that but there is no denying that Everton remain in a precarious position. The cost of relegation did not even bare thinking about. There are a multitude of reasons for the supporters to still rightly worry about the future and direction of their club.
“Sack the board” was chanted as fans again made their feelings clear over the appalling mismanagement of Everton under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri and stewardship of the chairman, Bill Kenwright.
That Everton survived with an imbalanced squad and no fit centre forward spoke of the solid work overseen by Dyche on the training pitch and not those in the boardroom. If Everton flirt with the drop soon again, it may be third time unlucky.
Story of the game
It promised to be a torturous afternoon for those in blue. Everton knew they would have to win their first game at home in five attempts to ensure it all stayed in their own hands. Goalscoring has also proved problematic for an insipid attack and Bournemouth, despite losing three on the bounce, refused to go quietly.
Dyche called on his players to embrace the pressure that this do or die day brought, and the welcome they received was certainly ear splitting. The equation was simple for Everton: win and secure their safety — the encouragement dripped down from the terraces. Any off-field angst clearly parked at the turnstiles.
Such good vibes didn’t come from the treatment table, however. Nathan Patterson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin had been ruled out during the week leaving Dyche without a recognised full back or a commanding centre-forward to hang his hat on. A switch to a back three saw Conor Coady make his first start since February and it fell to Demarai Gray to lead the attack.
Everton tried to make inroads down the flanks but they lacked a presence in the area. Not resorting to panic stations — no matter what transpired — will have been part of Dyche’s pre-match message. But an element of desperation started to creep into their play as the first half wore on.
Their best chances came from distance. Gray attempted a strike from over 25 yards out which flew over the crossbar. Idrissa Gueye, released by Amadou Onana, saw one shot tipped over by Mark Travers, Bournemouth’s reserve goalkeeper, and another swatted away by the deputy shot-stopper.
Travers also pushed over an effort from James Garner as half time approached but this was proving far from straightforward for Everton.
Bournemouth arrived having long secured their top-flight safety much against the odds and courtesy of the astute but understated management of Gary O’Neil. They played with the freedom Everton could only dream of.
Following a corner-kick routine, Marcos Senesi played an inviting ball towards the back post only for it to trickle out of play. Dominic Solanke, formerly of Liverpool, also went close with a right-footed effort that was deflected wide by Yerry Mina.
When news that Leicester had gone ahead filtered through, heads were in hands around this old ground, and the tension notched up even further. The home crowd simply wished for a nerve-settling goal.
The players returned after the interval to strains of ‘Spirit of the Blues’. They had to show something, their Premier League lives depended on it. Goals have proved elusive for large spells this season but they needed one here. Travers dropped low to stop Gray’s downward header.
But in the 57th minute, Everton had the moment they had hoped for and what a goal it was. Gueye lifted a ball upfield to Onana inside the Bournemouth area and his header down was met first time by Doucoure. The shot flew past Travers and sent Goodison into a frenzy.
Meanwhile, Dyche simply took a swig from his water bottle; he knew it was now about not doing anything stupid and squandering a precious lead. There was still over half an hour to play.
There was a five-minute delay as a goal-line scramble seen to by Jordan Pickford and Coady ended with the Everton ‘keeper confronting Solanke and then requiring treatment for a hand injury. When play resumed Bournemouth did not let up with Everton starting to drop deeper.
Substitute Keiffer Moore went close with a header at the far post. Ten minutes of stoppage time only added to the angst as did Matias Vina, who struck a shot that drew a fine save from Pickford with time slowly ticking down. When the final whistle came, it signalled a huge exhale of breath. Relief should be followed by a reset.
Player of the match: Abdoulaye Doucoure
The midfielder was cast aside by previous manager Frank Lampard but he has come to the fore under Sean Dyche. His 57th-minute goal, via an audacious strike, secured Everton’s Premier League safety after a season of struggle.