Campbell soups up Everton as Boro fail to serve seconds

Everton 2 Middlesbrough 1

Phil Andrews
Sunday 15 September 2002 00:00 BST
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A goal in each half from Kevin Campbell earned Everton their first Premiership victory at Goodison this season, and their spirit could make up for a dearth of talent as they strive to avoid their customary flirtation with relegation.

Perhaps the ability to make silk purses out of unsuitable material is the reason they poached manager David Moyes from Preston. Campbell certainly made the best of sparse opportunities, while Boro's more impressive strikeforce were left to rue chances wasted.

''I can't believe we didn't get something out of that,'' said Boro manager Steve McClaren. "Massimo Maccarone on another day would have had a hat-trick.''

His side had threatened to run away with it as Maccarone, Joseph-Desire Job and Szilard Nemeth, prompted from the heart of a five-man midfield by the impressive Geremi, swept into a 10th- minute lead.

It was the Cameroon international who picked out Maccarone on the left with the sweetest of passes. The Italian cut into the box unchallenged and as Everton's third-choice goalkeeper Paul Gerrard advanced to narrow the angle he selflessly stroked the ball across the face of goal to Nemeth to give the Slovakian the simplest of tap-ins from two yards.

Maccarone had only curled the ball narrowly wide of the far post after another incisive dart into the box and it took two defenders to halt full-back Franck Queudrue, who had been marauding down the left at will.

Everton, outnumbered in midfield, were forced to try to make an impression down the flanks, but the final ball into the box usually left much to be desired, cut out by defenders or easy meat for goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer when given some air.

They finally got it right after 33 minutes when Ugo Ehiogu gave the ball to Campbell. It went out to Niclas Alexandersson whose cross was headed against the post by Tomasz Radzinski, but Campbell was on hand to tuck away the rebound. "I had a few words to say at half-time because some people weren't performing out there,'' said the Everton manager.

Moyes' solution was to bring on Wayne Rooney immediately after the break. The teenager quickly earned a booking and prompted an important block from Schwarzer, but more importantly prodded his older colleagues – Campbell is twice his age – into life.

After surviving another scare when Job put in Maccarone, whose shot hit the post before being scrambled away, Everton finally began to assert themselves. Thomas Gravesen and Li Tie got hold of the midfield, Rooney curled a free kick on to the roof of the net and Schwarzer clung on to a powerful Campbell header before the striker stole his second and decisive goal.

He took Gravesen's flag-kick with a delicately-headed flick that flew into the far corner of the net. There were just 14 minutes left – too late for Boro to work out where it had all gone wrong.

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