By Lori Ewing
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Michael Keane scored a thrilling last-gasp goal to lift Everton to a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, a big boost for the team’s desperate battle to avoid relegation.
Keane’s blistering shot from 30 yards out completely caught out keeper Hugo Lloris, who remained rooted to his spot, and provided some consolation for the 30-year-old defender after an earlier tackle on Cristian Romero led to Spurs being awarded a penalty.
Harry Kane converted the penalty in the 68th minute.
“I am buzzing,” Keane said. “You won’t believe but I do hit the ball like that every now and again in training. To see one come off is amazing. After giving away the penalty to make up for it, I am buzzing.”
Sean Dyche’s Everton was pushing for the equaliser through the final few minutes before Keane finally netted in injury time. The centre-back took a couple of touches and then scored into the top corner, bringing the delirious Goodison Park fans to their feet.
“(Keane) has been in fine form,” Dyche said.
“On the training pitch, he’s been training with clarity and showed his quality. I think the whole stadium thought we would get a winner. I know I did.”
Everton climbed to 15th with 27 points, a point above the relegation zone. Four of the teams below them, however, have played one less game.
“It is another step in the right direction,” Dyche said. “It is only a point but is a meaningful point. The mentality is going from strength to strength.”
Spurs, who are in the thick of the race to finish top-four and qualify for the Champions League next season, had to settle for a point in their first game since manager Antonio Conte was sacked.
Tottenham moved back up to fourth, albeit level on 50 points with third-placed Newcastle United and fifth-placed Manchester United, who both have two games in hand.
Everton lost Abdoulaye Doucoure to a red card in the 58th minute after Kane had grabbed the shirt of the Mali midfielder, who reacted by swatting the England captain in the face and leaving him collapsing to the pitch.
“You cannot raise hands, we know that,” Dyche said.
Spurs also ended the match with 10 men with Lucas Moura sent off two minutes from time.
Both teams had plenty of scoring chances on an entertaining evening. Kane could have put Spurs on the board in the ninth minute, but his close-range shot was cleared from the goalmouth by Keane.
A minute later, Keane’s volley sailed over Tottenham’s net.
Everton had a terrific chance at an equalizer in the 76th minute, but Idrissa Gueye’s shot from 20 yards out was tipped over the crossbar by Lloris.
The game was paused in the 26th minute so Everton’s Muslim players Doucoure, Gueye and Amadou Onana could break fast for Ramadan.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
