You could be forgiven for thinking Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is on a mission to troll those lamenting the demise of the beautiful game.
As at Newcastle United last weekend, he kicked off Everton’s victory over Burnley with a routine which appeared to be replicated from the old Peter Kay “Ave it” beer commercials from years ago.
Juggling the ball in the centre circle, the midfielder launched a volley into the night sky to the edge of the Burnley penalty area for his team-mates to chase. Some might consider it all that is wrong with a regressive, modern game. For others, it was more like a subversive work of art – a metaphoric two fingers to anyone arguing there is only one way to maximise an opponent’s discomfort.
If such an opening was considered ridiculous, what followed 60 minutes later was suitably sublime to keep the football poets satisfied.
The same player struck the second in what proved a comfortable home win – Everton’s first in the Hill Dickinson Stadium for three months – exquisitely finishing following an assist from the superb Iliman Ndiaye. When in tandem, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye bring the creativity which keeps Everton hopeful of securing European qualification. Had Everton won by four courtesy of a couple more spectacular goals, with the evergreen Idrissa Gueye striking the crossbar from 20 yards, it would not have been injustice.
David Moyes’ best Everton sides in his first spell possessed the same capacity to mix it up – the beauty and the brawn being happy bedfellows.
Getting the balance right – especially at home – is the next stage of the evolution.
If Moyes leads Everton into a European position with little more than willing runners upfront it will surely register as one of his most satisfying coaching achievements.
Beto and Thierno Barry, who keep rotating based on the idea that the striker on the bench tends to seem in the best goalscoring form, work their hardest. Sadly, their application cannot disguise how they are nowhere near Premier League class. A mere 32 goals going into Tuesday’s fixture – the fewest in the top half of the table – tells the story of why Moyes has this team punching above their weight. It also explains why the team have struggled against packed defences at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, unlike when they can counter-attack on the road.
Scott Parker’s idea seemed to be that if Ndiaye was stifled, Everton’s creative department lacked personnel. That worked until Burnley fell behind on 32 minutes as nullifying Everton’s set-piece threat proved beyond the Championship-bound side.
That was the avenue for the critical opening goal as James Garner delivered for James Tarkowski to score for the first time since his famous equaliser in the final Goodison Merseyside derby.
Once ahead, it was a case of how great the the margin of victory against a powder-puff Burnley of which Parker was suitably damning, as were the visiting fans.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” they chanted when Parker subbed the popular Hannibal Mejbri with 20 minutes left.
“I understand their frustration tonight, for sure. Tonight we have brought nothing to the game, but there are reasons why Hannibal had to come off,” said Parker.
Given recent home discomforts, Moyes must not have known whether to deliver a team talk or an exorcism to bury the ghosts prowling Liverpool’s dockside since December.
A psychological barrier may have been overcome, although Moyes never saw deep-rooted issues at home.
“It wasn’t something that bothered me. The question has been quite boring because we’ve played quite well here,” he insisted.
Those Evertonians with glasses half empty will curse how long it’s taken to celebrate on their own patch. The more optimistic will analyse the Premier League table and wonder how much better it could have been – and might be next season – with an extra sprinkling of stardust in the squad to suit magnificent surroundings.