It was not pretty but AFC Bournemouth were able to beat Everton on the south coast, leaving Sean Dyche's side without a win in 12 Premier League matches.
The Cherries began the game on the front foot with a number of chances in the first 20 minutes.
Jordan Pickford was equal to these though and as the first half progressed, Everton grew into the game with a few chances of their own in the 30th minute. These chances were nothing more than brief attempts on goal though and it was fairly even as the two headed into the tunnel at half time.
It would take until the 64th minute of play for the deadlock to be broken. Dominic Solanke made it 16 goals this season as he powered his header past Pickford to make it 1-0.
Bournemouth were defensively solid and showed resilience up until an individual error looked to cost them the win. Neto dropped a simple cross and Beto tapped the ball in to level the proceedings at one apiece.
The game looked to be heading for a draw until disaster struck for Seamus Coleman. An awkward cross led to the Irishman scoring an own goal, securing all three points for the Cherries.
The result sees Bournemouth remain 13th place but extend their lead from the sides trailing them. Meanwhile, Everton remain 16th in the table, three points away from the relegation zone.
Bournemouth host Crystal Palace on Tuesday, while Everton travel to St James Park to face Newcastle.
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Story of The Match
With Everton winning the reverse fixture 3-0 at Goodison Park earlier this campaign, Sean Dyche will have looked to today as an opportunity to end his team's horrendous streak of form.
Where James Garner scored to take the lead with eight minutes gone in the reverse match, the Toffees looked half the side they were on that day. Bournemouth started the better of the two sides with two chances which troubled Pickford in the Everton goal.
First Antoine Semenyo fired in a low curling effort, which Pickford dealt with. The ball fell kindly to Lewis Cook but he showed a poor level of composure and blazed over the bar from close range. The second saw Justin Kluivert's attempt blocked by Pickford who did well to make himself big. Any doubts on Pickford's performance after the international break were quickly put to rest.
After these early chances, the tempo of the game subsided up until the 30th minute. Dominic Solanke was shown a yellow card and this sparked the Everton attack into life. From a free kick, James Tarkowski did well to shift the ball to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. His effort was struck with conviction and looked desitined for the bottom corner, only for Neto to react well and push the ball away with an excellent save.
Apart from a half-hearted penalty shout from Semenyo, not much else happened as the first 45 minutes drew to a close. Both managers will have been asking for a little more from their respective teams entering the break.
The second half began in a similar fashion to the first. Ben Godfrey was caught in possession Semenyo who powered forward with the ball. He found Lewis Cook who slide the ball into Marcus Tavernier. The winger drilled a low strike on goal but once again, Pickford was there to make the save.
Everton would fire back with a chance of their own soon after. Bournemouth were caught napping from a short corner and nearly paid for it. After receiving the ball from Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil rolled the ball past Milos Kerkez and unleased a strike that bounced away from the inside of the post. The ball rebounded awkwardly and hit Chris Mepham but bounced away from goal.
After a sustained period of pressure from the away side, the hosts would take the lead. Lloyd Kelly returned to the side, replacing Kerkez at left-back. This would prove to be an inspired change by Andoni Iraola as the Englishman's cross found compatriot Dominic Solanke in the middle. He pushed between two defenders and powered his header past Pickford, making it 16 Premier League goals for the season. Only Erling Haaland has more, with 18.
Once the deadlock was broken, a stalemate broke out between the two sides with neither posing any real threat on each other's goal. Bournemouth defended well whilst Everton struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities.
It took until the 87th minute and a colossal error to level the match. What looked like a routine cross for Neto turned into disaster for the Cherries captain. Under slight pressure from Beto, the Brazilian dropped the ball at the feet of the Portuguese striker and immediately claimed a foul. Nothing was given, leaving the centre forward an easy tap in to an empty net to make it 1-1.
The game looked to be finishing 1-1, until a costly mistake arose from experienced right-back Seamus Coleman. Adam Smith delivered a cross with pace and power across the six-yard box. It bypassed Pickford and bounced awkwardy off Coleman's chest and into the back of the net. The defender has played 406 games for the Toffees but in the 91st minute, this will be a match he will want to forget.
A shellshocked Everton side couldn't create anything else and after six minutes added time, referee Samuel Barrott drew the game to a close. Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Everton.
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Player of the Match: Tyler Adams
With Ryan Christie picking up a knock on international duty, Tyler Adams made his first start for the Cherries since signing from Leeds seven months ago. He put on a fantastic display, breaking up the play in the midfield, helping build attacks and forming an excellent partnership with Lewis Cook. He finished the match with a rating of an 8.1 - reflecting a solid performance.
