Leighton Baines steps up to crown epic Everton comeback against Watford

David Unsworth may not land the Everton manager’s job he craves but he will never receive a better endorsement of his ability to generate spirit and fight in a team than what transpired on a truly remarkable evening at Goodison Park. The first win of his temporary reign came with passion, pandemonium, a 91st-minute penalty and a 100th-minute penalty miss. “I need a lie down,” said Unsworth after a breathless encounter in which Everton refused to do exactly that.

Watford deservedly led 2-0 just after the hour and Goodison was stirring in revolt against an Everton team looking every inch the relegation candidate. The team, improved by Unsworth’s substitutions, pulled them back from the brink. The indefatigable Oumar Niasse instigated the fightback, Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled and Leighton Baines converted a high-stakes penalty in injury time, replacing Unsworth as Everton’s all-time leading penalty scorer in the process.

It did not end there. In the 10th of 12 minutes added on for significant injuries to Heurelho Gomes and Christian Kabasele, Watford won a penalty of their own when Jordan Pickford fouled Richarlison. Tom Cleverley, a former Everton midfielder, stepped up in the absence of the suspended Troy Deeney. Goodison had a collective seizure. Cleverley missed.

It now falls to Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s major shareholder, to appoint the club’s next manager. Sam Allardyce, assisted by Craig Shakespeare, is being given serious consideration by the Everton hierarchy. Watford’s Marco Silva is also of interest. At the last, and after three demoralising defeats, Unsworth promoted his claims too. “It is difficult to say what it will mean,” said Everton’s caretaker manager on the implications of victory on his job prospects. “But what we gave in the second half was what I’d say was a real Everton performance, full of heart and character. That is how you should play.”

Unsworth has been the model of discretion on the subject of the imbalanced squad bequeathed to him by Ronald Koeman and the director of football, Steve Walsh, but his selections have damned several expensive signings and senior players. Morgan Schneiderlin joined the list of expensive absentees against Watford after his woeful season reached a new low with an unprofessional red card against Lyon.

There was an improvement in Everton’s pressing game during a flat first half but their lack of width and quality in the final third was again telling. Unsworth repeated the tried and mistrusted combination of Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson behind the hard-working Niasse. Both toiled yet again and were substituted to good effect.

Watford did not recapture the form that scared Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and has produced three away wins this season, but were dangerous throughout. Richarlison should have opened the scoring shortly before half-time when released by the prominent Andre Gray but hit the side-netting having rounded the Everton goalkeeper. He made no mistake with his next opportunity.

Only 30 seconds had elapsed in the second half when Silva’s side exposed Everton’s weakness against the counterattack. Michael Keane was second best in a challenge with André Carrillo and suddenly Watford had two men against only Jonjoe Kenny. Gray clipped his pass to Richarlison, who again rounded Pickford and converted from close range. A roller-coaster of a second half was under way.

Sigurdsson should have levelled when Niasse picked him out unmarked in front of goal but, similarly to Baines in the first half, he shot too close to Heurelho Gomes and the visiting keeper saved comfortably. The keeper suffered a head injury when dealing with Rooney’s cross from the rebound, colliding with Kabasele, and his departure contributed to Everton’s recovery. But the home side were two goals in arrears when the comeback began.

Christian Kabasele powered in a header from Kiko Femenía’s corner to double Watford’s advantage. Goodison erupted in anger but was soon given hope by Niasse, who capitalised on hesitation between Gomes’ replacement, the debutant Orestis Karnezis, and José Holebas as they attempted to deal with Ademola Lookman’s ball down the left. Niasse nipped in and his touch trickled over the line as Kabasele fouled him from behind. The introduction of Calvert-Lewin for Rooney paid swift dividends. Watford left the striker completely unmarked as Baines swept a corner to the back post and the England Under-21 forward punished the oversight with a close-range header. Another costly set-piece lapse for Silva’s team.

Goodison was now in tumult, particularly when Holebas gave Everton the chance to win the game and possibly turn their season by conceding a late penalty. Aaron Lennon, Unsworth’s third substitution, flicked the ball over the left-back and was impeded when Holebas slipped in his path. “A harsh decision,” said a visibly enraged Silva, who refused to discuss the Everton links. After a lengthy wait, and with the weight of a relegation struggle on his shoulders, Baines fired the spot-kick beyond Karnezis’ despairing dive. Cleverley failed to do likewise, leaving Unsworth to depart with a hug for each of his players and a kiss to the crowd.