Everton 3 Wimbledon 2 – Premier League 1994
Premier League. Saturday May 9, 1994
Everton 3 Wimbledon 2
Everton: N.Southall, I.Snodin, G.Ablett, J.Ebbrell (S.Barlow 80), D.Watson, D.Unsworth, G.Stuart, B.Horne, P.Rideout, T.Cottee, A.Limpar.
Wimbledon: H.Segers, W.Barton, G.Elkins, V.Jones, J.Scales, D.Blackwell, P.Fear (G.Blissett 82), R.Earle, M.Gayle, D.Holdsworth, A.Clarke.
After forty years in the top flight Everton were staring relegation squarely in the face as they went into this final day clash with Wimbledon. With Swindon Town already doomed it was any two from five who would be joining them in Division One the following season and the permutations were endlessly baffling. Everton were the only one of the teams under threat with home advantage and it was likely that a victory would be required to gain safety, although even then they would be reliant on assistance elsewhere.
With Goodison Park’s capacity reduced due to ongoing re-development demand for tickets massively outweighed supply and there was bedlam around the famous old ground as fans desperately tried to secure entry or some kind of vantage point from outside the ground.
Inside the stadium the mood of anxiety was tangible and in danger of turning an apparent advantage into a burden. Although Warren Barton had admitted to some very un-Crazy Gang like apprehension as to the atmosphere his team would be stepping into Wimbledon were under none of the pressure of their hosts and had the incentive of a trip to Las Vegas promised them if they could improve on their 6th placed standing before kick off.
After three minutes Everton suffered the worst possible start. Wimbledon won a corner from which Gary Elkins delivered a tame looking centre towards the near post. Anders Limpar betrayed the nerves of all Evertonians by thrusting out a needless arm to block and although Neville Southall got a hand to Dean Holdsworth’s low spot kick the ball slipped into the bottom corner and Everton were behind.
It was one moment when silence certainly wasn’t golden and the fevered attempts of the home side to get back into the game showed little sign of achieving anything positive.
Indeed it was Wimbledon who continued to look the more likely scorers as the Everton defence remained in the grip of panic. Even the vastly experienced Southall could offer little re-assurance as he skied an attempted clearance hopelessly and had to charge from his area to clear the danger.
On twenty minutes the visitors increased their lead and again it was disastrous defending which handed them their goal. Dave Watson and David Unsworth collided as they both went to clear a centre and when Andy Clarke poked the resultant chance across the face of goal Gary Ablett sliced a horrible attempted clearance into his own goal.
Two goals down and performing abjectly Everton’s fate looked sealed.
Within minutes, however, they were given a helping hand back into the game when they needed it most badly. Limpar ran at Peter Fear and went down inside the box despite the absence of a discernible challenge. Referee Robbie Hart was convinced, however, and awarded the penalty.
How calm Graham Stuart felt, having missed his one previous penalty, was anyones guess but he kept his nerve to drill Everton back into contention.
Stuart and Limpar were the men doing most to suggest that Everton might continue the recovery but it was still Wimbledon who posed the greater threat. Holdsworth wasted one decent headed chance before putting an absolute sitter over the bar from inside the six yard box and, given the way the game had gone, Everton must have been mightily relieved to get to half time only one goal behind.
Half Time: Everton 1 Wimbledon 2
At least the scores elsewhere offered Everton some encouragement and with the crowd now beginning to rise to the occasion the home side emerged for the second half with renewed vigour and began to test the Wimbledon defence more consistently. The men in blue were clearly winning more of the midfield battles as the famous fighting spirit of the visitors appeared to desert them.
There was precious little guile to go with the guts, however, and clear chances continued to prove hard to come by. The industrious Stuart thundered in a shot which looked goalbound only to be deflected away for a corner and the rallying calls from the supporters became increasingly intense with each passing minute.
Hearts were in mouths when Marcus Gayle sent a header towards the top corner but John Ebbrell was on hand to head away from under the bar and hope remained.
With just over twenty minutes remaining the game turned irrevocably in the space of one pulsating minute. With Everton defending desperately the referee ignored vehement Wimbledon penalty claims when Stuart appeared to handle on the line before Everton equalised after the ball had been hoofed clear.
Barry Horne got the better of Vinnie Jones in a midfield tussle and broke forward. To the delight of all Evertonians, and their utter astonishment, Horne promptly sent a 30 yard screamer into the net via the angle of post and bar to register his first goal of the season.
Although results elsewhere meant a draw would be of no use to Everton this goal brought the first real sense of belief around the ground and the home side pressed forward relentlessly in search of a winner urged on by their baying fans.
With just under ten minutes remaining Wimbledon cracked. Tony Cottee managed to knock a ball back into the path of Stuart on the edge of the area and his less than blistering drive somehow evaded the lethargic dive of Hans Segers and nestled into the back of the net.
Although Everton now sought sanctuary in dispatching the ball to the most remote parts of L4 they could find there was little sign of a comeback from Wimbledon. Even so it was ten minutes of agony for the fans.
The final whistle brought scenes of wild jubilation and relief as news of Sheffield United’s defeat at Chelsea confirmed Everton’s safety.
Wimbledon left rueing the performance of the referee, boss Joe Kinnear quipping that he “definitely had the old Everton scarf around his neck” (surely that would have been noticed) and reflecting on the missed trip to Las Vegas reckoned his team were “worthy of a night in Southport.”
Although Mike Walker had seen his side survive by the skin of their teeth his Goodison reign would not last much longer. Within a year he would be gone and his successor, Joe Royle, would be leading the Toffees to an FA Cup triumph over Manchester United at Wembley.
Full Time: Everton 3 Wimbledon 2