LIVERPOOL :Everton gave Goodison Park a fitting farewell after Iliman Ndiaye scored twice to hand the home side a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Southampton on Sunday as the “Grand Old Lady” hosted its final Premier League game after 133 years.
Everton’s win in their penultimate match of the season – but last game at Goodison before moving to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock – left David Moyes’ side 13th on 45 points. Bottom-placed Southampton have 12 points from 37 games.
“This team will be remembered in history as the one who played the last game,” Moyes said.
Cheers and tears greeted Everton’s team introductions to their “Z-Cars” anthem on an emotional day, with Ndiaye sparking bedlam after six minutes as he took the ball on the half-turn before driving towards goal and curling a shot into the net.
The 25-year-old Senegal international completed his double in first-half injury time when Dwight McNeil played a ball through two defenders and Ndiaye beat goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with a dummy and then tapped into the empty net.
Ndiaye had said in a pre-game interview that he was motivated by the words of his daughter, saying he could become the last Everton men’s player to score a goal at Goodison.
“It’s very special (to be the last one),” Ndiaye said, with the game ball tucked under one arm. “It means a lot and I wanted to score a hat-trick. Since the day I came in they have been great, I wanted to give the fans a win today.
“The roar (after the first goal) was amazing. It’s an amazing day. They deserve it,” he added.
With Tim Cahill, Wayne Rooney, Duncan Ferguson and dozens of other Everton greats watching, the hosts ran roughshod over Southampton, who did little to spoil the party.
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The win was Everton’s 17th over Saints at Goodison, making them the club’s favourite home Premier League opponents.
The scoreline could have been more lopsided as Beto had two goals given offside four minutes apart in the first half.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had to make a save late on to deny substitute Cameron Archer and ensure the final goal scored was not a Southampton one.
The afternoon went almost perfectly for Everton although they did lose their captain Seamus Coleman, who has made over 350 league appearances for the club, when he was forced off in the first half with what Moyes said was a thigh injury.
“I’m gutted for him,” said Pickford, who wore the captain’s armband for the rest of the match. “What a legend and character he is around the place.”
Sunday capped an emotional run-up that many Everton fans had been dreading and the stadium’s finale – Game 2,791 – certainly did not fail to deliver one more to remember.
Thousands of supporters showed up well before the team’s bus arrived at the ground, with dense blue smoke filling the narrow terraced streets. Even fans without tickets turned out to be part of history, the end of an era.
Supporters belted out “Everton, you never shone so brightly!” The club’s flag flew at half-mast above the Bullens Road Stand.
“The last game at Goodison will take some time to soak in,” Pickford said. “We would have liked to score four or five. We will go down in history as the last team to win at Goodison. That’s what the manager asked of us today.
“The fans have been brilliant.”
Everton announced earlier this week that their women’s team, who play in the Women’s Super League, would make a permanent move to Goodison, beginning next season.
