Retreating Everton would be small beer for Beckham
Everton 1 West Bromwich Albion 4
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Your support makes all the difference.Everton announced a record shirt sponsorship with a Thai beer company worth £12 million on the eve of this game. Do not expect David Moyes to be reaching for a bottle of Chang after a humiliating defeat that left his side in trouble near the foot of the table.
Nor should the Everton manager waste his time waiting for a phone call from David Beckham. Moyes has invited Beckham, who is contracted to LA Galaxy, to ring him to discuss a possible loan move to Everton following the end of the Major League Soccer season.
But Beckham would be best advised to avoid Goodison Park, which is in danger of becoming a place of discontent this winter after Everton's fifth game without a win. "We were terrible in the first half," said Moyes.
"We didn't start well and we were 2-0 down before we knew it. At the end of the day we have lost heavily."
To compound a wretched afternoon for Moyes, Mikel Arteta was sent off after a second-half stamp on Gonzalo Jara and Jermaine Beckford, a summer addition to Everton's roster of misfiring strikers, missed three sitters as Chris Brunt inspired West Bromwich to their first League victory at Goodison for 31 years.
Paul Scharner broke the deadlock with a bullet header from Brunt's corner, the Austrian's first goal for West Bromwich. Brunt then doubled their tally with a stunning 30-yard free-kick after Tim Cahill had needlessly fouled Youssouf Mulumbu. Cahill atoned for his error by giving frustrated home fans a glimmer of hope in the 42nd minute after connecting with a corner by Leighton Baines, the Australian's eighth goal of the season and third in as many games. But any hope of a comeback vanished in the 59th minute when Everton were forced to play the final half an hour with 10 men after Arteta's stamp on Jara.
The substitute Somen Tchoyi made it 3-1 with an effort from the edge of the box and Everton's misery was complete when Sylvain Distin turned the ball past his own keeper before Mulumbu was sent off for a second bookable offence two minutes from time.
"We showed no fear and a lot of courage to come and play the football we did," said the visiting manager, Roberto Di Matteo, said. "We rode our luck a little bit at 2-1 as the keeper made some great saves but the quality of our play and quality of our goals gave us the advantage."
Attendance: 35,237
Referee: Lee Mason
Man of the match: Brunt
Match rating: 7/10
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