Dubious penalty hands Everton a win

Last updated at 17:58 19 August 2006

Everton 2 Watford 1

Everton won a first-day home game for the first time in 10 years as Watford left Goodison Park feeling robbed.

Chris Powell appeared to block Tim Cahill's cross with his head nine minutes from time but referee Peter Walton decided it was handball, and Mikel Arteta made it 2-0 to Everton after Andrew Johnson marked his league debut for the

Toffees with a goal.

Damien Francis' deflected strike in the final minute meant that but for the controversial penalty, Watford could have marked their return to the top flight with a point.

Francis, along with Powell and Danny Shittu, made their competitive debuts for the visitors, while there were two on-loan Manchester United goalkeepers on the pitch in Ben Foster and Everton's debut man Tim Howard.

Blues boss David Moyes opted to leave another of his summer purchases, Joleon Lescott, on the bench and stuck with Alan Stubbs alongside Joseph Yobo at the heart of the defence

No doubt spurred on by what fellow new boys Sheffield United had done to Liverpool earlier in the day, Watford set about Everton with high energy and an array of set pieces that unsettled their hosts.

Ashley Young could have put them ahead early on with a 20-yard shot which Howard was forced to beat away.

But Everton's record signing Johnson got himself on the scoresheet as early as the 14th minute, as his new partnership with James Beattie worked a treat.

Beattie flicked on to Johnson, combined again with his strike partner with the return which allowed the former Crystal Palace man to stride between three defenders before lifting a shot over Foster into the top corner, under

considerable pressure.

But Watford, with a supply of long balls into the channels for Marlon King to chase, almost profited from the tactic when the Jamaica striker forced Yobo into a risky headed back pass which evaded the onrushing Howard and bounced just

wide.

King was a real handful, and he hammered a shot just over following Stubbs' mishit clearance.

Johnson then found pace to embarrass Shittu and surged past the defender only to be shoved to the ground, referee Walton producing a yellow card with the home crowd baying for red.

From the free-kick, Arteta curled a shot against the crossbar from 18 yards, and then delivered a fine set-piece into the box which Cahill headed against the woodwork.

Watford sent on Hameur Bouazza and American defender Jay DeMerit at the interval for James Chambers and Adrian Mariappa, and within minutes of the restart Lescott came on for his debut for Nuno Valente, who had suffered a knee injury in the first period.

Adrian Boothroyd's side showed no signs of accepting defeat as they stormed forward with pace and power. Darius Henderson failed to connect with a dangerous low cross from King out on the right as Everton gave everything to hold on to what they had.

Watford continued to come forward, launching long balls into the Everton area which caused constant problems. Bouazza saw a left-wing cross bounce onto the crossbar, before Francis fired inches wide from eight yards as Watford continued

to press for an equaliser.

Everton needed something to change the course of the half, and sent on James McFadden for Simon Davies and teenager Victor Anichebe for Beattie.

But King was still a major threat and on 75 minutes he turned away from a pedestrian Stubbs to find space 15 yards out, only for Howard to block his low drive with his knees.

On 79 minutes Hungary international Tamas Priskin came on for Henderson, fresh legs to aid King up front.

But two minutes later Watford were the victims of a terrible injustice as Powell was penalised for his block on Cahill's cross.

The crowd behind the ball bayed for a spot-kick although television replays showed the ball clearly hit Powell full in the face, nowhere near his hands.

Arteta stepped up to strike home the penalty and what might have been an equaliser from Francis proved to be mere consolation.