Party's over for Gullit

NEIL BRAMWELL

Everton 1 Chelsea 1

There is a body of thought that, while the Premiership is open house for foreign stars, not enough is done to pamper the likes of Ruud Gullit.

David Ginola is accustomed to his every touch being booed, every trick demolished by a scything pair of size 12s and every stray elbow subjected to intense scrutiny. Gullit, the only import who can touch the Newcastle player for flair, has so far only suffered the physical rigours of English football. There are signs, though, that other trials are just around the corner.

The Goodison crowd took exception to a couple of theatricals straight from the Ginola textbook. There were also indications of a growing tetchiness in his relations with colleagues. Gullit is not slow to show displeasure when his team-mates does not meet his own standards. And more than one Chelsea player felt the need to vent their feelings when Gullit was slow to fulfil the defensive obligations of his roaming role.

He also has an opportunity to study the art of rubbing English referees up the wrong way at first hand. Three times Robbie Hart insisted Mark Hughes should pay attention during a lecture on the limits to which the striker and the Everton defender David Uns-worth could take their sparring. Minutes later, Hughes was booked for kicking the ball away.

So it was hardly surprising that Mr Hart did not feel the need to err on the side of a second caution in showing Hughes the red card for stamping on Unsworth, though most thought the contact was accidental.

Chelsea were able to maintain a pattern, despite Hughes' dismissal, but Everton had - and wasted - the more clear-cut openings. John Spencer seized on defensive hesitation for the opener, a curtain-raiser for an industrious individual display. Mr Hart incurred more wrath from the Chelsea manager, Glenn Hoddle, when an initial Anders Limpar pull was ignored and Dan Petrescu's retaliation emphatically punished with Unsworth's penalty equaliser.

Goals: Spencer (20) 0-1; Unsworth (pen 36) 1-1.

Everton (3-5-2): Southall; Short, Ablett, Unsworth; Kanchelskis, Horne, Ebbrell, Hinchcliffe (Amokachi 59), Limpar; Rideout, Stuart. Substitutes not used: Grant, Kearton.

Chelsea (5-4-1): Hitchcock; Petrescu, Duberry, Lee, Myers, Phelan; Wise (Furlong 64), Newton, Gullit, Spencer; Hughes. Substitutes not used: Clarke, Peacock.

Referee: R Hart (Darlington).

Bookings: Everton: Ablett, Short, Rideout. Chelsea: Wise, Petrescu, Hughes.

Sending-off: Hughes (62).

Man of the match: Spencer.

Attendance: 34,968.