Everton seal Premier League survival as Doucouré screamer sinks Bournemouth

Everton extended Abdoulaye Doucouré’s contract earlier this week and the midfielder repaid them by extending their residence in the top flight of English football into a 70th year. The midfielder struck a quite superb goal to seal the victory Sean Dyche’s team desperately needed over Bournemouth to avoid a first relegation since 1951.

It was a nerve-racking finish at Goodison Park, where 10 minutes of added time, an injury to Jordan Pickford’s hand and the stubborn refusal of Gary O’Neil’s side to go quietly combined for a chaotic end to the season. When it was finally over, Doucouré etched his name alongside Barry Horne, Graham Stuart and Gareth Farrelly as Everton last-day saviours and Dyche had completed a fine achievement with an imbalanced squad that has spent the majority of the campaign without a proven goalscorer.

There was a pitch invasion on the final whistle but it was nothing like the joyous occasion that greeted last year’s escape against Crystal Palace on the penultimate game. This time Goodison reverberated to chants of “Sack the board” as fans again made their feelings clear over the appalling mismanagement of Everton under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri and stewardship of the chairman, Bill Kenwright.

A five-man defence for a must-win fixture appeared a negative move from the Everton manager but, in truth, he had little alternative. With every recognised full-back injured, Dyche deployed Dwight McNeil and James Garner as makeshift wing-backs. With no decent striker available because of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s latest hamstring problem it fell to Demarai Gray to lead the attack. The paucity of Everton’s options was further demonstrated by their bench. Dyche was unable to name a full complement of nine