Stoke City 2 Everton 3: DAVID MOYES may have stalled on signing a new contract at Goodison Park, but no one could accuse the Everton manager of lacking commitment.
Sent to the stands in the second half for his furious response to Alan Wiley's bizarre decision to give a free-kick for handball after initially pointing to the penalty spot, Moyes leapt to his feet at the final whistle, sprinted half the length of the pitch, tore off his sweater and, after pointing to the club crest, tossed it towards the travelling supporters.
It was a gesture in keeping with a dramatic and breathless second period, during which Stoke, exploiting Rory Delap's ability to throw the ball huge distances with extraordinary pace and power, recovered from two goals down to leave Everton on their knees.
There was a sense the home team would prevail at that point, but four minutes after Moyes's spat with the fourth official, Tim Cahill marked his first appearance since March with a near-post header to nudge Everton ahead.
It was a sweet moment for Moyes after his touchline contretemps. "I think maybe I was too strong in my views about the penalty," said the Everton manager, who had seen Wiley point to the spot when Leon Cort handled, before changing his mind after consulting the linesman.
Wiley made a second blunder of the afternoon when, two minutes before Phil Jagielka headed Delap's long throw-in into his net, Ricardo Fuller had what appeared to be a perfectly good goal disallowed when he was penalised for fouling Joseph Yobo before sashaying round Tim Howard.
The replays suggested Fuller had been too strong and quick for Yobo as he burst through the middle.
Everton were far from dominant, but Stoke, with their high-tempo approach and set-piece prowess, are awkward opponents.
"Stoke have got a long throw which they deploy very well. It's like a human sling," said Moyes, who gave debuts to Marouane Fellaini and Segundo Castillo.
Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Delap claimed two assists yesterday, with Seyi Olofinjana volleying home after Tim Howard's weak punch, and Jagielka, under pressure from Cort, glancing Stoke's equaliser beyond the Everton goalkeeper eight minutes later.
"It's part of the game. It's not unlawful to throw the ball in," said Tony Pulis, defending the tactic.
The Stoke manager insisted his players would continue to "work on" Delap's long throw, although dedicating time to defending set pieces in the weeks to come may be just as beneficial.
• Guardian Service
