Match Report: Everton v Scunthorpe

Everton cruised into the 4^th round of the F.A Cup yesterday by thrashing Scunthorpe at Glanfod Park.

The Toffees, who have been struggling to find goals as of late, showed their Premier League class and hit five past a sorry Scunthorpe.

Louis Saha grabbed his second goal of the season opening the scoring with a cool finish from outside the box, similar to his goal in the midweek win over Tottenham. With top scorer Cahill away on International duty, former Scunthorpe player Jermaine Beckford finally found the net after his goal drought with a header, doubling Everton's lead. It could have easily been more for Everton before the break with the front pair looking dangerous and Leon Osman and Marouane Fellaini coming close.

After the break, Scunthorpe hit the back of the Everton net with a great finish by Michael Collins and the game looked to be one of those special F.A Cup moments. It wasn’t to be however, as Everton showed their class and kept knocking at Scunthorpe’s door. It was the impressive Seamus Coleman who grabbed Everton third, nodding in Beckford’s cross to grab his second headed goal in as many games.

Then the match was well and truly over, as on 75 minutes, Fellaini found space at the edge of the box, to drive a left foot shot past Murphy in the Scunthorpe goal. There was even time for Everton to grab a fifth. Magaye Gueye made an exquisite pass to set to Leighton Baines who curled a superb shot into the top corner of the net.

The victory was never in doubt, as five-star Everton proved that they are ready for another cup battle.

Match Preview: Everton v Scunthorpe

F.A Cup fever is hitting the nation this weekend as teams from every division battle it out for this historic piece of silverware; and none more so than Everton and Scunthorpe.

Both teams have not had a very good league campaign and a good run in the cup could see their spirits lifted.

Scunthorpe have home advantage, with the match taking place at Glandford Park but, after a bad first half to the season, Championship survival is now key for them. They sit one place off the bottom of the Championship, and with new manager Ian Baraclough taking over in September; a good cup run is vital and could get Scunthorpe up and running.

Meanwhile, after a hard-fought victory against Tottenham on Wednesday night, Everton will be in a more positive frame of mind after a mixed season. They lie eleventh in the Premier League table and know just how valuable a run in the cup can be, with them reaching the final in 2009. Scunthorpe will be the underdogs, but in the F.A Cup anything can happen, as Everton are much aware of. With losses to Shrewsbury Town and Bury in the past, the Toffee’s won’t be taking anything for granted.

Everton have a strong squad available for the visit to Scunthorpe. However, they will still be without Phil Jagielka, whose injured hamstring is still causing problems, while Aussie Tim Cahill is on International duty with the Soccoroo’s at the Asia Cup until at least the end of January.

Scunthorpe’s captain Cliff Byrne is a doubt after having trouble with nerves in his back, but defender Rob Jones is set to return following trouble with sciatic trouble in his back.  Yet Winger Gary Thompson could miss out because of a groin injury, as the struggling Championship side look to cause an upset against David Moyes’ toffees.

Match Report: Everton v Tottenham

Everton grabbed all three points against Tottenham at Goodison Park last night in a feisty, hard fought traditional game of football.

If ever a performance was needed by Everton it was now. With top goal scorer Tim Cahill away with the Australia Squad and a defeat to Stoke the previous week, the needed to assert themselves from the word go; and they did just that.

With Cahill absent, manager David Moyes left the fans guessing with who would replace him and if he would change the formation to 4-4-2. This he did as striker Jermaine Beckford came in for Cahill to partner Louis Saha in a two man attack. This strategy paid off as within the first 2 minutes  Saha shot brilliantly from the edge of the box to send the ball past Gomez in the Tottenham goal and brought to end the goal drought for him and Everton strikers. But Tottenham fought back and it was the lively Van Der Vart who headed home from a Peter Crouch knock down to grab Tottenham’s equaliser. Both sides continued to push for a second with Jermaine Beckford looking to test Gomez on numerous occasions and Mikel Arteta dragged his shot just wide of the Spurs goal. Van Der Vart was looking to get his second of the game with a lob from 30 yards out just going over the bar, as well as his acrobatic effort sailing over. Tottenham did however have a goal disallowed. A wrongful back pass by Louis Saha gifted the ball to an unusually quiet Gareth Bale who squared it to Peter Crouch to steer home. However it was correctly given offside and both side went in at half time level.

After an entertaining first half both teams emerged from the dressing room looking for a winner and it was Everton who simply out played Tottenham during the second half. Phil Neville had kept Gareth Bale quiet all night and the Tottenham whiz kid was soon substituted through injury. Mikel Arteta put in a much needed good performance and he and the in-form Marouane Fellaini controlled the midfield. It was however, the young Seamus Coleman who stole the show. The young Irish right back has been playing out of position for Everton this season, taking command on the right side of midfield and certainly finding his feet there. He had Tottenham right back Assou-Ekotto after him all night as Coleman played his heart out for the boys in blue. He made several runs and sending in crosses, one of which fell to Louis Saha on the volley but it was deflected wide for an Everton corner. Coleman did find himself through on goal with only the keeper left to beat but shot straight Gomez. Tim Howard wasn’t called into action much for Everton in the second half but he was needed when he made two great saves from Vander Vart to keeps Everton in the game.

With the atmosphere inside Goodison electric, the crowd got behind their player and they were finally rewarded when at 75 minutes Saha shot at Gomez who save rebounded into the path of Coleman for him to head home a deserved lead for Everton. Tottenham pressed for an equaliser but it wasn’t to be as the Everton back four stood firm and held on to claim a much deserved three points.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Everton manager David Moyes heaped praise on his side performance, ‘‘I thought it was a really good team performance. The players were extra special tonight. We said to the players, be brave enough to get on the ball. It was a brilliant game, all action and we made lots of opportunities.’’

Match Preview: Everton v Tottenham

Everton take on Tottenham Hotspur tonight at Goodison Park, with both side eager to take all three points for very different reasons.

Tottenham remain title contenders after the Christmas period and remain unbeaten in 9 Premier League games; their longest run since March 1999. They now sit 4^th in the Premier League table and they arrive on Goodison Park knowing that they haven’t lost there during their last 6 visits. A win tonight will further strengthen Tottenham’s hope of qualifying for next season Champions League, the second year in succession.  New Signing Rafael Van Der Vart has been at the front of Tottenham’s performances recently. Not only is the Dutch running the show from midfield with fellow playmaker Luka Modric, but he has also found  scoring form netting 8 goals in 14 Premier League matches.

It’s a different story for the home team however, who desperately need a win with them hovering 2 points above the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand. The Toffees have had a somewhat up and down season. Highlights include scoring two goals in the last minute to draw with Manchester United, a heroic derby day victory against neighbours and fellow strugglers Liverpool and a win away against Manchester City with ten men. But they have also suffered their fair share of losses with defeats to Stoke, West Brom and Newcastle. Nobody can doubt Everton team spirit and work ethic while their performances have been positive overall, however, their strikers cannot seem to find the net this season and it is midfielder Tim Cahill who is the clubs leading goal scorer with 9 Premier League goals under his belt.

Everton have had their fair share of injuries and suspensions during the season and tonight will be without the talismanic Tim Cahill who has flow out to join up with the Australian National squad for the Asia Cup, Phil Jagielka is out with a hamstring problem and there are doubts over the fitness of Dutch defender John Heitinga and young Irish prospect Seamus Coleman. Tottenham has no new Injury concerns to worry about with defenders Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate sill out while Jermaine Defoe and Younes Kaboul are still missing through suspension.

Tonight encounter is set to be a feisty affair as these two traditional clubs battle it out under the Goodison floodlights.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

The Harry Potter franchise has been a phenomenon for the last 10 years. With the books ending in 2007 and part 2 of the Deathly Hallows due out in 2011, this penultimate film makes sure Potter fanatics around the world will not be left disappointed.

We last seen Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, being left a mission by Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) the late Headmaster of Hogwarts School. Harry’s enemy, Lord Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) had hidden parts of his soul in various horcruxes, and it is up to Harry to destroy them and to save the wizarding world from the clutches of Voldermort. The only problem? These horcruxes could be anywhere.

In this movie, with the help of his sidekicks Ron and Hermione, played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, they set out to find the final 4 pieces of Voldermort soul to destroy. The Dark Lord however, is getting stronger with each passing second and has taken control of the Wizarding World with the help of his ‘Death Eaters’. Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic and even parts of the ‘Muggle’ world have all come under fire from Voldermort and his team and only Harry and his friends can save it.

This instalment of the Harry Potter series is the first one not to be set within the ground of Hogwarts School and aside from the opening 30 minutes, it is manly Harry, Ron and Hermione searching for the Horcruxes that will save them. As the opening line suggests that ‘these are dark times’ and that couldn’t be truer. With a Horcrux found, the trio then set about how to destroy it; a task that proves more difficult than they think. As the search for the remaining horcruxes continues and with them not able to find a way of destroying the one they have, the tension begins to build.

There is however, much more to this film than just the destroying of the Horcruxes. The relationship between Ron and Hermione is beginning to grow with actors Rupert Grint and Emma Watson stealing the show with their portrayal of friendship, heartbreak and love. Helena Bonham Carter reprises her role as the violent and wacky witch Bellatrix Lestrange, brilliantly conveying the Dark Side of this film. There are also short appearances by Rhys Ifans who play Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna’s dopey dad, and Bill Nighy, as head of the ministry of magic. There is also a comic side to this film too, with the return of lovable ‘free elf’ Dobby and a few classic on liners from the famous Weasley twins Fred and George, played by Oliver and James Phelps.

This film keeps you on the edge of you seat the whole way through and you can see why author of the books JK Rowling regards this as her favourite. The millions of Harry Potter fans will not be disappointed with this film and its twists, turns, tragedy, love and heartbreak. It also ends perfectly to keep the audiences guessing for the much anticipated Part 2 and final film of this book phenomenon.

Film Review: Easy A

Easy A is a charmingly funny teen sex comedy, but without the sex. There has not been a genuinely funny high school movie since Mean Girls; Easy A has changed this.

Based loosely on Nathanial Hawthorne bestseller The Scarlet Letter, this film has some genuinely funny moment that make your stomach hurt and also appeals to your sensitive side as the journey teenagers can go through during high school.

Emma Stone plays leading lady Olive, a fun and charismatic but also book-smart teen that begins to feel the pressures every teenager has to deal with, but in her own entertaining way. She decided to help her gay friend pretend to lose his Virginity, or as it is commonly known as in this film ‘the big V’. Although they do not have sex, word spreads that Olive has finally lost her virginity, much to the dismay of the Evangelical Marianne, played by Amanda Bynes, the president of the schools Christian Society.  Marianne set out to tell everyone what Olive has been up too. After suddenly being branded a tramp, Olive decides to use it to her advantage. She is approached by high school boys who want her to say she has had sex with them and in return will give her gift vouchers or money. Then, her class are studying the book’ The Scarlet Letter’ when the main character Hester Prynne is made to wear the letter ‘A’ on her clothes after an affair with a minister, so that society knows she is a adulterous woman. Inspired by this, Olive then begins to wear a red ‘A’ on all of her clothing as an act of rebellion.  While the whole school believes the rumours, one person knows she is just doing this to get her reputation up, her childhood friend and love interest Todd, played by Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley.

Not only does this film contain some genuinely hilarious moments, it shows the struggle teenagers can go through and the pressures they can face from their fellow peers. With a supporting cast that boasts Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, Cam Gigandet and Alyson Michalka, there is very little this movie has wrong with it. The obvious stand our performance comes from Emma Stone, whose portrayal of Olive is flawless. Her knowledge, mixed with her comic timing and facial expressions, show that she is defiantly a one to watch. Overall, Easy A is a breath of fresh air for the comedy genre and shows how a small white lie can get out of control, with hilarious consequences!

Neighbour's dog attacks 3 year-old girl

A man was at Liverpool magistrate’s court today, after being arrested after his dog mauled a 3 year old girl.

The defended, was arrested on the ground of being in possession of a dangerous dog and agreed that the dog must now be destroyed. Police dog handlers have confirmed that the dog was a pitbull.

This comes after the 3 year old girl was found in his kitchen having been attacked by the animal. She suffered a broken nose, and has since needed surgery on her injuries.

The girl’s parents, who live next door to the defendant, want no further action to be taken. The prosecution however, are concerned why he was in custody of such a dangerous dog that it attacked the child. They are also curious as to how the child go near the dog in the first place.

The police report states that the door to get into the kitchen was open, while the defendant says it was not locked; the door at the time was shut.

This case will be taken care of in 2 weeks time when the police will come forward and give their evidence; which could determine whether the defendant faces a custodial or non custodial sentence. He is released on bail until then.