Report: Saints beaten by Everton in Goodison Park farewell
Southampton were beaten comfortably in their final away game of the season, as Everton’s farewell to Goodison Park ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts.
It was an emotionally-charged day in and around the stadium for the final Premier League game there, as the Men’s team prepare to move into a brand-new venue after 133 years at the ground, with fans lining the surrounding streets from hours before kick-off to begin their goodbyes.
Fans line the street outside Goodison Park ahead of the game (Photo: Matt Watson)
By the time the teams had made it in through the crowds and finished their warm-ups, the atmosphere in the stands had built to a feverish, cup-final feel, and the scenes no doubt sparked a few memories for some Saints fans of the farewell to their own iconic ground, The Dell, 24 years ago.
While Goodison itself was the story of the day, there was also the matter of the match itself, and Saints were keen to build on the 0-0 draw they had secured the previous weekend at home to Manchester City.
Interim Manager Simon Rusk made two changes from the team that started that game, as Nathan Wood and Joe Aribo came into the line-up, with Jan Bednarek missing out on the squad through injury, while Lesley Ugochukwu reverted to the bench.
Nathan Wood was one of two changes made by Simon Rusk (Photo: Matt Watson)
Roared on by a fervent home support, Everton unsurprisingly began on the front foot and Saints needed Aaron Ramsdale to make a fine save in the fourth minute to keep them out. The chance came from a corner that had been flicked out to the far side of the area, where Vitali Mykolenko smashed the ball back across the face of goal, with Beto able to control it six yards out, only for Ramsdale to then make a brilliant save down low to his right as the Toffees striker prodded it towards the corner.
Less than two minutes later, however, Ramsdale was beaten and Goodison Park erupted.
It was Iliman Ndiaye with the goal, driving towards the edge of the box, shifting onto his left foot and firing low into the bottom corner, with the Saints keeper having no chance this time.
Ndiaye was close to turning provider for what would have been a second Everton goal on 20 minutes as he burst forward again and slipped a little reverse pass into Beto on the left side of the area, but the forward’s attempt to find the far bottom corner was off target, with Welington helping it behind for a corner, from which Jarrad Branthwaite bounced a header wide at the back post.
Soon after, Everton again threatened as Beto took advantage of a heavy touch from Ramsdale outside of his area and won the ball. In doing so, he had to chase it towards the byline, before turning and finding Abdoulaye Doucouré on the edge of the area, but his first-time effort was blocked by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Harwood-Bellis then made another fine block to deny James Garner when a loose ball fell to him in the box, before Beto twice had goals chalked off for offside as he first finished from Garner’s low, angled pass from the right side, before heading in an Ashley Young delivery, only to have been beyond the last man on each occasion.
A second goal felt inevitable, and it duly arrived in added time at the end of the half. There was perhaps an element of fortune about it, but it was no less than Everton deserved, as Mateus Fernandes tracked back to tackle Dwight McNeil about 25 yards out, with the ball subsequently squirting through the back line and into the path of Ndiaye, who rounded Ramsdale and slotted into the empty net.
Everton fans celebrate as Iliman Ndiaye scores a second in added time (Photo: Matt Watson)
It meant Saints ended the half two down, having also failed to register a shot in the opening 45 minutes.
Any hopes that the break would help lead to a reset of the game were fairly swiftly extinguished, as Everton pushed for a third.
They carved out a good opportunity within about ten minutes of the restart, as they worked the ball to Garner in space on the right side of the area, but Ramsdale was able to parry his shot clear, before Beto headed inches over moments later.
Rusk made three changes on the hour, as Cameron Archer, Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone came on for Wood, Kamaldeen and Joe Aribo.
Within two minutes of arriving on the pitch, Stewart registered Saints’ first shot of the afternoon, pouncing on a loose ball and showing good footwork to create space on the angle, but Jordan Pickford made an excellent save to deny him.
Rusk then sent Jay Robinson on for Tyler Dibling midway through the second half, following a trio of Everton changes that had included former Saints player Charly Alcaraz being brought on.
Saints were forced into another change of their own eight minutes from time as Harwood-Bellis picked up an injury and was replaced by youngster Joachim Kayi-Sanda, who was making his debut for the club.
They almost then made a game of the final minutes, when Robinson burst towards the byline and squared for Archer, whose low shot from six yards was somehow saved by the feet of Pickford, before Smallbone’s strike on the rebound hit the outside of the post.
It was too little too late, though, as Everton celebrated victory one last time in Goodison Park.
Everton: Pickford, Coleman (captain) (Young 18), O’Brien, Branthwaite (Keane 74), Mykolenko, Gana, Garner, Doucouré (Alcaraz 65), McNeil (Harrison 65), Ndiaye (Calvert-Lewin 74), Beto.
Unused substitutes: Virginia, Patterson, Chermiti, Iroegbunam.
Goals: Ndiaye (6’, 45’+2).
Booked: Garner.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Bree, Harwood-Bellis (Kayi Sanda 82), Wood (Archer 60), Stephens (captain), Welington, Downes, Aribo (Smallbone 60), Fernandes, Dibling (Robinson 68), Kamaldeen (Stewart 60).
Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Manning, Sugawara, Ugochukwu.
Booked: Downes.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Attendance: 39,201.
