Everton have twice gone into the final day of a Premier League season with their top flight status on the line and on the anniversary of their first ‘Great Escape’ against Wimbledon in 1994, many wouldn’t bet against loyal but long-suffering Blues having to endure a third such nail-biting scenario at the end of this month.
Just like then, and when they faced Coventry City in 1998, Everton end the campaign at Goodison Park with Bournemouth the visitors on Sunday May 28 (4:30pm kick-off). Such has been the team’s struggles this term though, that plenty of Evertonians have already proclaimed that if offered the opportunity to be in a position where they needed Sean Dyche’s men to beat the Cherries on the final day to stay up and avoid what would be the club’s first relegation in 72 years, they’d take that now.
With four games left to play, Everton are currently second bottom of the table having taken just 29 points ahead of their trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday (5:30pm kick-off). Here’s how things panned out on May 7, some 29 years ago…
James Hunt, the Formula One world champion of 1976 once declared: “The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel.” While Mike Walker’s side weren’t putting their actual lives on the line this day like former motor racing drivers like Hunt – who died in Wimbledon less than a year before this game aged just 45 – for Evertonians and their proud boast of being the club with the most seasons spent in the English top flight, this felt like the football equivalent.
Not only was this possibly the most nerve-racking day Goodison Park ever experienced in terms of high drama, but the manner in which it all unfolded was like a real life Roy of the Rovers type story. At the time of Howard Kendall’s resignation on December 4, Everton were 11th but they were left to drift over the festive period – losing six out of seven games during caretaker boss Jimmy Gabriel’s winless tenure.
Despite starting with a 6-2 home thrashing of Swindon Town in his first Premier League game in charge, Kendall’s successor Walker was unable to stop the rot and having lost seven out of 10 in the run-in, the Blues went into the final game of the campaign in the relegation zone for the first time all season. Everton knew they needed a result to avoid the drop but even that in itself might not be enough as they also depended on their rivals not triumphing elsewhere.
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On the Match of the Day commentary that night, as the sides took to the field to a truly tumultuous reception, the BBC’s Barry Davies remarked: “A full house at Goodison and a welcome fit for champions from Everton supporters not knowing if they’ve come to praise or to see their team buried.” This was an era in which Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’ were known for their on-pitch intimidation of their opponents but they were given a hot reception on Merseyside with Davies adding: “Wimbledon’s coach was burnt out last night at their team hotel in what the police are describing as ‘suspicious circumstances.’ The kit was on board but it was rescued in time… if a little smoky.”
It was the home side that appeared nervous though in the opening exchanges and disastrously found themselves 2-0 down within 20 minutes. First they conceded a penalty just four minutes in after a handball by Anders Limpar. The ECHO’s David Prentice wrote: “Dean Holdsworth fired it low to Neville Southall’s right” and although he “got a firm touch on the ball” he couldn’t keep it out.
Wimbledon’s second goal was even more calamitous from an Everton point of view. Prentice said: “A cross into the Everton penalty spot saw Dave Watson and David Unsworth both challenging for the ball together. The ball still appeared to be drifting wide until Gary Ablett tried to clear the danger and hooked the ball into his own net.”
The Blues looked down and out but arguably their most spectacular comeback since the 1966 FA Cup final when they also recovered from 2-0 down to defeat Sheffield Wednesday, ensued. Just four minutes after Wimbledon’s second goal, the hosts were awarded a penalty of their own when Limpar went down under a challenge from Peter Fear. Despite it looking at first like keeper Southall might take the kick: “Graham Stuart showed coolness to strike the ball to Hans Segers’ right and into the corner of the net.”
While Stuart’s strike in front of the empty skeleton of the Park End stand that was being rebuilt – allowing ticketless fans to watch from the trees in Stanley Park – gave Everton hope, Barry Horne’s outrageous 25-yard half volley to equalise midway through the second half threatened to take the roof off. Prentice described it as: “One of the best goals seen at Goodison for years” as he “crashed a magnificent shot into the top left hand corner of Segers’ goal before being swamped by team-mates and supporters alike.”
The winner arrived nine minutes from the end as Stuart exchanged passes with Tony Cottee before “he lunged in light-footed and sent the ball crashing beyond Segers amid scenes of delirium.”
Evertonians didn’t even know whether the victory had been enough to save their side when they swamped on to the pitch in great numbers at the final whistle but eventually news started to filter through that they were safe with Joe Royle’s Oldham Athletic and Sheffield United (who had led 2-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge until 14 minutes from the end – a result that would have relegated the Blues regardless of what they did) going down along with the already-doomed Swindon Town.
Recalling his spectacular strike on the 25th anniversary of the game in 2019, Horne told the ECHO: “When you’re confident you just do things. If that ball had bounced up to me some 12-15 months previously I’d have taken another touch and then another touch and would have fallen over it or passed it sideways.
“But as things stood it sat up and before I knew it, the ball had left my foot and it was on its way. Earlier on I’d have thought about doing it and decided against doing it but on that occasion I was in such good form, I was doing things instinctively, as you do when you're confident, it never occurred to me to shoot or not to shoot – I just did it.”
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