Tim Cahill ends a 13-month goal-scoring drought for Everton but then helps Blackburn equalise in a 1-1 EPL draw at Goodison Park.
Tim Cahill can’t take a trick at the moment.
Only an hour after snapping his 13-month goal-scoring drought for Everton, a goal-line clearance from the Socceroos star bounced off Blackburn’s David Goodwillie’s mid-riff into the Everton net.
The match finished 1-1 with Goodwillie’s 72nd minute goal tempering the joy at Goodison Park surrounding Cahill’s first goal for the Toffees since December 2010.
Cahill has endured a frustrating run at club level with a multitude of injuries contributing to his barren run in 2011.
The 32-year-old’s season of near misses finally came to end in the 24th minute on Saturday with team-mate Marouane Fellaini literally having a hand in the goal.
From eight metres out, Fellaini’s shot was blocked by Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson and the Belgian controlled it with his hand as he found Cahill.
It was a simple finish from close range for the Australian but he and the Everton faithful erupted at his return to the goal-scoring list.
He produced his trademark pummelling of the corner flag and was engulfed by his team-mates.
With his tail up, he delivered a piercing through ball for Landon Donovan nine minutes later but the American was unable to finish off his good work.
The goal appeared to lift a weight off Cahill and he produced his best performance in some time, having been switched between midfield and the forward line in recent weeks.
The edge was taken off his happy day in the back end of the second half after Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard failed to deal with a lofted ball.
The ball bounced off Everton defender Shane Duffy’s head to Cahill on the goal-line.
The Australian tried to clear the ball but it struck Goodwillie and resulted in the equalising goal.
Everton manager David Moyes, who signed Cahill from Millwall eight years ago, said the drought-breaking goal had been coming.
“He’s been playing well in recent weeks,” Moyes said.
“He’s looking more likely to score and I can see that in the way he’s been training and the way he plays the games.”
In the English Championship, Scott McDonald maintained his scoring form with a 66th minute header in Middlesbrough’s surprise 3-1 loss at lowly Coventry.
The much-maligned striker at international level has scored seven goals in his last 13 club appearances.
Socceroos midfielder Neil Kilkenny set up the second goal in Bristol City’s 2-1 home win over Doncaster by crossing for Kalifa Cisse to nod home.
Former A-League player Matthew Leckie was an injury-time substitute in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 3-1 home win over German giants Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Friday.
In Serie B, Carl Valeri’s Sassuolo continued their push for promotion with a 4- home win over Vicenza.
The result put them in second spot with the top two teams securing automatic promotion.