Everton 2-2 Ipswich Town
by James Nalton
at Goodison Park

EVERTON’S penultimate game at Goodison Park finished in a 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town, which was especially disappointing for the home side as they had taken a 2-0 lead.

Everton are trying to savour their final games at Goodison Park, but the team are struggling to win at home, having not done so since February 1.

It is putting a slight dampener on the farewell, but fans are making sure the stadium gets the goodbye it deserves.

Everton supporters’ group, the 1878s, had spent four days at Goodison Park during the week, preparing a pre-match display.

All four corners of the stadium were involved, with flags in the Gwladys Street end and a mosaic in the Park Stand, while confetti rained down from the upper sections.

Three quality first-half goals, the first two scored by Everton, added to the atmosphere around the stadium, which had been building since around midday for this Saturday 3pm kick-off.

The first was a textbook header from Beto. The centre-forward found space between the Ipswich defenders to rise and head Carlos Alcaraz’s cross into the bottom corner. Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer had no chance of reaching it.

Palmer might have done better with the next Everton goal, but the fade on Dwight McNeil’s shot from distance was so pronounced that it was difficult to believe it didn’t take a deflection.

Though the next goal came against Everton, the Goodison Park faithful will have appreciated the strike from Julio Enciso.

The Paraguayan forward, on loan at Ipswich from Brighton, tried his luck from distance as McNeil had done, and his shot dipped at the right moment, going in off the underside of the bar out of reach of Jordan Pickford.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna believes Enciso has the ability to change games at Premier League level.

“He’s got an incredible showreel for a young player,” said McKenna.

“It’s frustrating we haven't had him for more of the season, as that individual quality, which every team at this level has lots of, can win points and games, and Julio can do that.”

Everton had been linked with Ipswich striker Liam Delap, and Toffees manager David Moyes said prior to this game that they would be interested in signing him, but the striker struggled to get anything going against the Everton defensive pairing of Jake O’Brien and Jarrad Branthwaite.

In the end, it was Delap’s replacement off the bench, George Hirst, son of former Sheffield Wednesday striker David, who would trouble Everton more, rising at the far post to head in Omari Hutchinson’s deflected cross to level the scores.

Everton have one more game here, against Southampton on the 18th of this month.

The final send-off for Goodison Park will be an emotional occasion, and the team will be hoping to sign off with the win they have been unable to secure in the last seven home games.