JAKE O’BRIEN stooped to conquer and grab the equaliser that extended Everton’s unbeaten run to seven games.
In first-half stoppage time, O’Brien was among the burly Toffees defenders who failed to deal with a long throw and was then unable to stop Yoane Wissa giving Brentford the lead.
ReutersJake O’Brien flies in for Everton’s equaliser[/caption]
PACarlos Alcaraz celebrates Jake O’Brien’s leveller[/caption]
But the towering right back took advantage of poor defending at the other end to head home with 13 minutes left.
David Moyes’ side deserved the point after having much the better of the second half.
And they could have had all three if Beto had not fluffed his third good chance of the evening in the dying minutes.
Yet the Bees will also feel that they missed a big opportunity to put themselves right back in the mix in the top half of the table where every point counts.
Thomas Frank’s side have now failed to win any of their last six home matches, having been brilliant at the Gtech earlier in the season.
In the first half, they looked like the team which had more to play for
Whatever Moyes says about the old-fashioned 40-point mark, you won’t need that to stay up this year and Everton took a good half hour to get going.
Wissa’s goal was fitting reward for the Bees’ first-half superiority.
PAYoane Wissa arrived to head the breakthrough for the Bees[/caption]
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Yet they could have been two goals down.
For all the silky skills of Kevin Schade and Mikkel Damsgaard, and despite a number of decent openings, the hosts had not forced Jordan Pickford into a meaningful save before Beto fluffed two big chances.
The first was comedy gold.
When Jack Harrison attempted a through ball on the break, Bees defender Ethan Pinnock slipped and, in the process, accidentally impeded Beto.
The striker regained his feet, ran on but then could only produce a tame shot that Brentord goalkeeper Mark Flekken blocked.
Moments later, Charly Alcaraz’s header sent Beto clean through on goal. Again, his shot was too close to Flekken, who deflected it just wide.
Wissa finally tested Pickford and then scored in the next phase of play.
Everton’s great big defenders allowed Schade’s long throw to bounce, Bryan Mbeumo headed against the bar from close range and Wissa reacted quickest to nod in from on the goalline.
In the opening minute of the second period, Brentford almost gifted an equaliser but Schade cleared from inside the six-yard box after Harrison’s corner had hit Kristoffer Ajer.
PAWissa celebrates putting Brentford in front in first-half stoppage time[/caption]
The visitors finally began to enjoy some sustained possession in the hosts’ half, without creating a proper chance.
Wissa had a goal ruled out for offside after Keane Lewis-Potter opted to pass rather than shoot after Damsgaard’s luscious pass.
It proved costly – but only because Brentford substitute Paris Maghoma’s first contribution was to allow O’Brien to equalise.
Everton broke and Vitalii Mykolenko sent in a cross towards the back post. O’Brien lost Maghoma far too easily and stooped to head the ball across Flekken.
It could have been even better. But when Beto broke clear again his shot across Flekken was not hard or well-directed enough, and the Brentford goalkeeper saved once more.
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