Ten-Man Everton Lose To Bournemouth

Ten-man Everton were left frustrated at Hill Dickinson Stadium after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

The Blues' five-game unbeaten run looked as though it would roll on when Iliman Ndiaye's clinical first-half penalty gave David Moyes' side a lead at the interval.

Everton were made to pay for a pair of missed opportunities after the restart, as the Cherries – just as the Toffees had done to Fulham three days' previously – hit back and turned the game on its head with what turned out to be a nightmare eight-minute spell.

Rayan headed home a leveller and, three minutes later, Amine Adli put the visitors in front with another close-range header, before Jake O'Brien was shown a straight red card for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

Despite intense late pressure, Everton couldn't find a moment to take something from a game in which they dominated for large parts.

FIRST HALF

Moyes handed January deadline day recruit Tyrique George a full debut, after a bright cameo in the 2-1 comeback win at Craven Cottage, while Jarrad Branthwaite was recalled in his preferred position of centre-back.

Everton had the ball in the back of the net inside 10 minutes, when James Garner's in-swinging corner was tipped on by Djordje Petrovic and fired back into danger by Idrissa Gana Gueye before Ndiaye flicked home – but an immediate offside flag curtailed the Blues' celebrations.

The contest failed to spring into life following that close call and the Cherries' plan to slow the tempo of the game became evident.

A golden chance came the Toffees' way on the half-hour mark, though. Garner's speculative 35-yard free-kick from a central position bounced awkwardly in front of Petrovic, who could only parry it back into danger. Thierno Barry was the first to react but couldn't rearrange his feet quickly enough to divert the loose ball home.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then produced a dangerous low cross across the six-yard box, which was helped on by Alex Scott and fired towards goal by Ndiaye. This time Petrovic saved with his feet and the ball deflected off the post and away to safety.

Bournemouth's first shot of the contest came on 38 minutes but, after working the ball neatly from right to left, Evanilson's shot from inside the penalty area was tame and Jordan Pickford comfortably held on.

The deadlock five minutes later and it came via a spot-kick after Branthwaite was clumsily fouled by Rayan following an intense press from the Blues.

Ndiaye took responsibility, clinically dispatching into the bottom corner of the net, giving Petrovic – who guessed the right way – no chance.

SECOND HALF

Everton started the second period brightly and went close to doubling their advantage as Ndiaye seized on an under-hit pass from Petrovic. The Cherries recovered to clear the Senegalese winger's initial cross, but only as far as Dewsbury-Hall, who set himself and saw his vicious curling effort – that looked bound for the top corner – headed clear by James Hill.

Ndiaye was at the heart of things again as Everton created another golden opportunity to extend their lead. After playing a neat one-two with Barry in Bournemouth territory, the Toffees' No.10 worked himself a yard with a trademark drop of the shoulder and dug out a low cross which was met by Barry but, somehow, blocked by Alex Jimenez from point-blank range.

Bournemouth made their hosts pay for those missed chances.

Having created no note of threat to that point, Adrien Truffert's angled low strike from 20 yards proved to be a warning shot.

Andoni Iraola's side got the leveller just after the hour-mark, when Truffert's right footed centre was headed in by Rayan at the far post.

Three minutes later, Bournemouth were ahead. It came via another delivery into the penalty area, with Alex Scott's free-kick headed back across the face of goal by Hill, handing Adli the simplest of tasks in heading into an empty net from four-yards out.

It got worse for Everton, who were reduced to 10-men when O'Brien was dismissed when he was adjudged to have denied a goalscoring opportunity for bringing down Adli during a Bournemouth counter-attack.

Moyes' side responded valiantly to a crushing eight-minute spell and piled forward in search of a route back into the contest.

Garner flashed wide after a half-cleared corner, before substitute Beto headed into Petrovic's arms from Ndiaye's left-footed cross from the right flank.

Branthwaite then went close when he headed over Garner's free-kick and Gana's driven effort from inside the penalty area deflected agonisingly wide.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, it was all Everton in the closing stages, but the Blues couldn't find another goal via a flurry of late corners – or a last-gasp free-kick which saw Pickford go on the attack.