Pavlyuchenko scores again as Spurs beat Everton

Feb 28, 2010 - 5:40 PM By JAMES PIERCY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Roman Pavlyuchenko continued to defy his critics by netting his fifth goal in three games to ensure Tottenham regained fourth spot from Manchester City with a battling 2-1 win over Everton.

Pavlyuchenko and Luka Modric sent Spurs into a commanding two-goal first-half lead but they were pegged back when Yakubu profited from Heurelho Gomes' error to score from close range.

Everton substitute Landon Donovan should have secured a draw for his side when he missed an open goal from a yard out but Harry Redknapp's men hung on for the three points.

Redknapp said: "They came back strong second half, as I expected them to do. We got nervy and edgy and it was difficult then.

"The character was important as we lost Tom Huddlestone and I have only got three central midfield players at the club so I had to put Younes Kaboul, who's a centre-half, in there.

"We could not keep hold of the ball like we did at the start of the game and Everton made it difficult. We could not get Niko Kranjcar and Luke Modric on the ball as much as we would have liked because they are both fantastic footballers.

"But we hung in there and it was a great result but I felt we deserved it, especially in the first half we were the better team."

Tottenham raced out of the blocks and secured an 11th-minute lead courtesy of the vision of Huddlestone and Jermain Defoe and the finishing prowess of Pavlyuchenko.

Huddlestone picked out Defoe with a superb lofted 50-yard pass, with the striker perfectly controlling the ball and rolling it across goal fro Pavlyuchenko to sweep home a finish.

Everton were rattled but so nearly gained a foothold back in the game moments later when Spurs 'keeper Gomes fumbled Mikel Arteta's corner with the ball landing at the feet of Yakubu but the Nigeria striker was unable to make meaningful contact.

With the visitors back in the contest though Tottenham's Croatian contingent combined to double their advantage.

Vedran Corluka picked out Niko Kranjcar and the playmaker found international colleague Modric on the edge of the penalty area for the diminutive playmaker lift a finish over Everton 'keeper Tim Howard and in off the crossbar for his first goal of 2010.

With Spurs securing a dominant lead before the break, Everton fluffed yet another chance to get back in the game as Jack Rodwell planted a header wide from Phil Neville's cross when he really should have worked Gomes.

The home side's goal continued to lead somewhat of a charmed life into the second period and Everton finally matched their determination with a goal ten minutes after the break.

Arteta's corner was headed back across goal by Rodwell and as Gomes made a hash of an attempt to catch the ball, Yakubu was on hand to tap home.

Everton continued to press and Gomes was called into action denying Steven Pienaar with a fine parry but whereas Spurs looked calm and in control they now appeared nervous and unsteady.

David Moyes introduced Donovan to force the issue and the decision should have brought about an equaliser only for the American international to get his bearings in front of goal all wrong.

Rodwell delivered a fine cross which took Gomes out of the game and Donovan was left with a basic tap-in but his connection was unconvincing and instead he hit the side netting, with Moyes and most of his team-mates with their head in their hands.

Everton boss Moyes said: "We did not really get going until after the break and maybe that was a hangover from the week, I do not know.

"Our performance after half time was much better and I thought we deserved something from the game.

"It is disappointing as our results against the better teams in the Premier League have been excellent recently."