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Everton and their fans have been on something of a rollercoaster over the past eight days. From the highs of what felt like a momentous win at Old Trafford to the depths of the horrible, momentum-killing 4-1 reverse to Newcastle and now to a first ever League win at Dean Court in Bournemouth, you could be forgiven for feeling a bit dazed and confused about where this season is heading.
That would be fitting, really, following a meeting on the south coast between two short-handed teams who both looked a bit punch drunk in the final stages as the Cherries limply tried to salvage something from a contest that had been there for the taking for whoever could muster the knockout blow.
As it turned out Jack Grealish, the on-loan star toiling through what was arguably his worst display yet in an Everton shirt, was the man who provided it 12 minutes from the end with a heavily deflected winner that was, perhaps, in keeping with what had been a frustrating team performance from an attacking sense in an often scrappy and disjointed game.
Unquestionably, though, the better team on the night won. Depleted by suspensions for Marcos Senesi, David Brooks and Lewis Cook and reeling somewhat from a collapse in form that had seen them concede 12 goals in their previous four fixtures, this was not the Bournemouth that were unbeaten at home prior to tonight and who had powered their way to claim a place in the leading pack in the early part of each of the last two seasons.
The Blues, of course, were still licking their wounds from their drubbing by the docks at the hands of the Magpies and were dealing with their own selection issues thanks to Idrissa Gueye's three-game suspension and an unexpected injury absence in the form of Michael Keane.
That forced James Garner back to right-back, Jake O’Brien to centre-half alongside James Tarkowski and demanded that Tim Iroegbunam shrug off his own personal disappointment at having been dragged off at half-time on Saturday, which he did in admirable fashion.
Meanwhile, Charly Alcaraz provided enough threat to warrant his selection in a role behind Thierno Barry and ahead of a slightly deeper Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as Everton largely seized the initiative, particularly in the first half, with some slick and purposeful play going forward that was let down only by a frequently inadequate final ball or final touch in the final third.
The hosts might have had the better chances in the first period, with Antoine Semenyo prompting a solid save from Jordan Pickford and Eli Junior Kroupi putting the ball in the net in first half-stoppage time before the offside flag killed his celebrations, but it was the visitors who were the more consistent aggressors, even if clear-cut chances were at a high premium.
O’Brien had a goal-bound shot blocked by a defender in the 13th minute and Iroegbunam cleared the stand behind the goal with an awful effort from distance five minutes later before Andoni Iraola’s side had their first attack of note midway through the first half. A flighted ball into the Everton box fell invitingly to Semenyo but his drive was beaten away by Pickford.
Dewsbury-Hall, once again the creative heartbeat in the middle of the park while Iliman Ndiaye provided trickery on the right and Grealish flattered to deceive on the left, then got to the byline and tried to cut it back for Barry but he put his centre too close to Djordre Petrovic
Everton ended the first period with a flurry of corners but Bournemouth were saved by the woodwork on two occasions in quick succession. First, Alex Scott glanced Garner’s dangerously in-swinging corner onto the top of his crossbar and from that set-piece, Petrovic got enough of a glove on the ball to bobble it off the post, then out off Barry’s head and away from danger.
In what seemed to be in the blink of an eye as time added on ebbed away, however, Bournemouth scored against the run of play. Álex Jiménez collected the ball wide on the right and drilled it low into the box and Kroupi stabbed it past Pickford from close range.
Thankfully, Michael Salisbury’s alert assistant had spotted that the Frenchman was offside from a crucial touch from Amine Adli and the goal was chalked off.
If Everton were expecting a change in intensity from the home side after the interval, it didn’t materialise until much later when the Cherries were chasing the game. Instead, the pattern established in the first half continued in the second and Alcaraz saw a fierce drive from the angle blocked behind for an early corner.
In the second phase from Dewsbury-Hall’s delivery, the ball sat up for Ndiaye to have a crack at goal on the half-volley but was caught by Adli’s foot instead, with the free-kick given Bournemouth’s way.
A few minutes later, Dewsbury-Hall counter-attacked superbly and found Alcaraz who prodded the ball into the path of Barry. While Barry's first touch was slightly heavy, he galloped on the ball nevertheless and looked to clip it past the on-rushing Petrovic but the keeper made vital contact to divert it behind and deny the young striker his first Premier League goal.
The former Villarreal man made an absolute mess of his next chance, skying Garner’s cut-back well off target while, in between, Semenyo had spurned a gilt-edged chance to put Bournemouth ahead when he fired Evanilson’s clever back-hall straight at Pickford.
At this stage, with both teams tiring but Andoni’s men coming more and more into it with his four substitutes now on the field, it felt like it was anyone’s game. Everton, though, would have kicked themselves had they passed up the victory and, thanks to Grealish and a dose of good fortune, they didn’t need to.
With 77 minutes gone, Alcaraz drove into the opposition half once more and passed to Grealish but where the winger has so often eschewed the opportunity to shoot from outside the box this season, this time he tried his luck and was rewarded with a big deflection off Bafodé Diakité’s thigh that sent it bouncing into the unguarded side of Petrovic’s net.
Cue a knee-slide celebration and bedlam in the away end as Everton sensed their long wait for a win on this ground was in sight.
With Dwight McNeil and Beto replacing Alcaraz and Barry and O'Brien having an excellent game in his more natural role, the Blues saw the match out in solid fashion. And while Bournemouth caused a late scare when Jiménez hammered a shot towards goal that was blocked by Tarkowski, it was Everton who came closer to adding to the score when Grealish teed up Ndiaye but Petrovic did well to parry his shot away to safety.
Sitting in an underwhelming 14th place before kick-off, Everton go ninth for the time being with this hard-fought and much-deserved victory at Vitality Stadium that slayed another of those frustrating away hoodoos that has blighted the club.
While not a classic and with a performance that was at times as frustrating in terms of the team’s inconsistencies in the final stages of attacks as the result was exhilarating, this was a terrific win all things considered.
Taken as part of a trio of games rounded out by United away and Newcastle at home, it doesn’t necessarily bring us any closer to knowing what’s in store from Everton this season — the next few fixtures pose stern challenges in their own right, with Iroegbunam suspended for the visit of Nottingham Forest before back-to-back challenges against Chelsea and Arsenal — but shows they have the spirit to bounce back from a really poor defeat.