Duncan Ferguson’s pre-match preparations extended to leaving money behind the bar at the Winslow Hotel and the Brick, two Evertonian boozers near Goodison Park, to buy fans a first drink before kick-off against Aston Villa. The caretaker manager was unable to deliver what they craved most of all, however, as Steven Gerrard tormented Goodison Park once again to maintain Villa’s upward momentum and deepen Everton’s relegation fears.
The best player on the pitch, Emiliano Buendía, scored the only goal of a fractious game marred by Villa players being struck by a plastic bottle in the celebrations that followed the Argentina midfielder’s decisive header.
