Everton boss hails his sickbed stars

Mar 3 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID MOYES hailed the way his players sprang from their sickbeds to fire his side back into the top four last night.

Two goals by Yakubu inspired Everton to a 3-1 win over Portsmouth that took them three points clear of Liverpool, who had drawn level earlier in the day by winning at Bolton.

And Moyes revealed that Tim Cahill and Andrew Johnson both had to have late fitness checks to ensure they could take part in a victory that ensured Everton remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2008. The manager identified the 65th-minute introduction of Johnson as the turning point that allowed the home side to regain their superiority after Jermain Defoe had cancelled out Yakubu’s first-minute strike. It was Cahill who headed Everton back into the lead before Yakubu completed the scoring with his sixth in three games and 18th of the season.

Moyes said: “We’ve had some sickness about the place but one thing the players have is determination and a desire to play. Tim Cahill could only do light training yesterday and Andy Johnson hasn’t even trained since the last game. He had a fitness test at 2pm today but when he came on he had a big impact.

“I might have looked to start him had he been fit but what we can do now is change things around and we did that. And what I’ve said to the players is it may not always be the 11 who start the game who win us the games. Those in the stand will make a difference by the end of the season.”

By the time Everton take to the field in Florence for their last 16 UEFA Cup first leg tie on Thursday, Liverpool may once again have dislodged them from fourth spot.

Victory at Anfield in their game in hand over West Ham on Wednesday will take them above their rivals on goal difference – and Moyes admits the red side of Merseyside remains the favourite for Champions League qualification via the Premier League. However, he has backed his team to get even better in the run-in.

“I would have to say Liverpool are favourites,” Moyes said. “Because for them it would be expected.

“But we are doing everything we can to make a good fight of it.

“Our performances are getting better and we are continuing to get better so all we can do is try to put ourselves in the position we need to be in. We are going to try to keep going forward and we hope this form stays with us and the players keep nudging it up a level.”

With 10 games left, Everton and Liverpool are beginning to isolate themselves from the rest of the top four-chasing pack.

If Liverpool beat West Ham they and Everton will be five points ahead of nearest challengers Aston Villa, with Manchester City and Blackburn a further two points back and Portsmouth now nine behind after yesterday’s defeat.

Moyes added: “Portsmouth have been there all season. They don’t lose many away from home and are hard to score goals past. In the end we got there. It’s been a big week for us against two teams pushing us really hard for the European spots. So our performances have been very good.”

Yakubu, who followed up his hat-trick against SK Brann and last week’s strike in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City with a double yesterday, admitted Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Bolton spurred them on.

He said: “We want to finish in the top four and we knew Liverpool won so we want to keep the pressure on them.

“We deserved the win because we fought for each other and that’s what got us the three points we were looking for. I am scoring but when you have the kind of quality players around you I have, you can always feels that goals are coming.”