EPL ~ Everton 2 - 1 Tottenham
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Everton 2 - 1 Tottenham
Saha (centre) celebrates after scoring his first league goal in 11 monthsEverton delivered a blow to Tottenham's bid to maintain pressure on the Premier League's pacesetters with a fully deserved win at Goodison Park.
Seamus Coleman's late header gave the enigmatic Merseysiders victory to maintain their impressive record against the sides near the top of the table.
Louis Saha fired the home side into the lead inside three minutes with his first league goal for 11 months, only for Rafael van der Vaart's close range header to restore parity eight minutes later.
In an enthralling game, both sides created and wasted opportunities to take a stranglehold before Coleman headed past Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes when he could only palm out Saha's shot after 75 minutes.
Toffees keeper Tim Howard twice denied the dangerous Van der Vaart after the break but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp could have no complaints about the eventual outcome as Everton played with a verve and threat that has eluded them too often in a frustrating campaign.
Everton manager David Moyes, with leading scorer Tim Cahill away with Australia at the Asia Cup, finally opted for two strikers when he paired Jermaine Beckford and Saha up front - and was rewarded almost instantly.
Spurs paid the price for standing off Saha, allowing the French striker ample time and space to drill a low finish into Gomes' right-hand corner from 20 yards.
Van der Vaart, as so often this season, led the north Londoners' response and had already sent an instinctive lofted finish just wide behind a scrambling Howard before heading in the equaliser after 11 minutes.
The Dutchman stole in behind the home side's defence after Peter Crouch rose above Phil Neville to steer Alan Hutton's cross back into the six-yard area.
Chances continued to come at regular intervals in an open and entertaining encounter, with Beckford firing just over on the turn from 10 yards and Crouch having a goal correctly ruled out for offside when he turned in Gareth Bale's pass.
Everton wasted an opportunity to restore their lead five minutes after the break when Coleman surged into the area, only to ignore the unmarked Beckford and send a tame effort straight at Gomes.
Tottenham then suffered a blow when Bale, who required lengthy treatment in the first half, was replaced by Niko Kranjcar.
Van der Vaart was presenting a huge danger to the Toffees and it took a fine diving stop from Howard to prevent him rounding off a Spurs break with another goal.
Saha was also having one of his more influential nights and he thought he had added his second after 63 minutes when he met Coleman's cross sweetly, only to see his goalbound effort deflected wide.
Van der Vaart brought another crucial save from Howard before Everton finally got the goal their enterprise deserved with 15 minutes remaining. Saha was again involved with a powerful drive that Gomes could only push in the direction of the advancing Coleman, who dived to head in.
Substitute Yakubu's lack of pace meant he squandered the opportunity to wrap things up in injury time, but the miss was not to prove costly as the north Londoners ran out of steam after their recent impressive run.
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Everton manager David Moyes:
"I thought it was a really good team performance. The players were extra special tonight."We said to the players, be brave enough to get on the ball.
"It was a brilliant game, all action and we made lots of opportunities - we matched Tottenham tonight and luckily enough we got that one goal more."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp:
"We started poorly but we came back and got a goal and should have gone in 2-1 up at the break."At half-time I would not have taken a draw but credit to Everton, they upped the pace in the second half.
"They made lots of chances and we had chances on the break. It is not an easy place to come to."
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