Swansea 0 3 Everton (THE SUN)

Swansea 0 Everton 3

HAIR-O ... Marouane Fellaini was imperious for Everton once again

Published: 2 hrs ago

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MAROUANE FELLAINI bullied 10-man Swansea into submission as Everton picked up an impressive win at the Liberty Stadium.

The big-haired Belgian was a constant threat to the Swans backline and it was his knock-down that Victor Anichebe tucked away for the opener.

Fellaini’s compatriot Kevin Mirallas made it 2-0 before the break as he beat keeper Michel Vorm at the second time of asking.

Michael Laudrup’s men had their chances but the game was over as a contest when half-time substitute Nathan Dyer was sent off on 57 minutes.

TRIBUTE ... Swansea players during minute's applause for Hillsborough victims

Fellaini then got his just rewards for a towering performance as he made 3-0 with eight minutes remaining.

Everton boss David Moyes said: “If we had won midweek against Newcastle as we should have done, we could have been mixing it with the big boys, which we are still doing and we want to be doing at the end of the season.

“We have finished a lot of seasons strongly and the one year we got off to a good start we qualified for the Champions League and we have to do that if we can.

“We will probably finish where most people would predict and we will try and do that and we will do better if we can.”

Laudrup said: “I have to say Everton deserved the win, they were better than us.

“We were disappointing in the first 30 minutes and we gave away a lot of fouls, they had five or six free-kicks in the first 10 minutes and we played too slow and the first 30 minutes laid the ground work for the defeat.

SCOUTING TRIP ... Wales boss Chris Coleman watches from the stands

“We can learn from this. We were 2-0 down and had a good reaction, but the first 30 minutes was very disappointing, the worst we have been this season until now.”

Such was the visitors’ dominance during the first half, it was a surprise it took them so long to open the scoring.

Swansea’s sloppiness on the ball and shoddy defending meant Vorm was forced to make three saves inside the first three minutes.

The Dutchman firstly grasped an Anichebe header at the second attempt after the striker had got on the end of Leighton Baines’ whipped delivery, before twice denying Mirallas.

The warning was not heeded by the hosts and Ashley Williams endured a few nervous moments when he brought down Anichebe after Wayne Routledge’s awful pass had put him in trouble.

Everton felt the Wales centre-half had been the last man but the covering Alan Tate saved him as he saw yellow as opposed to red.

The opener arrived in the 21st minute. Williams’ poor recent run continued as he misjudged a high ball to allow Fellaini to control and tee up Anichebe to fire home from close range, although replays suggested the Belgian had used an arm.

BATTLE ... Everton's Victor Anichebe duels with Alan Tate

Swansea were guilty of standing off in defence and Anichebe almost punished the struggling Tate when he was given acres of space to turn but fired over.

Laudrup had been the epitome of frustration during the opening half-hour, but Swansea finally managed to find a spark.

Record signing Pablo Hernandez burst away down the right and his chip was headed off the line by Phil Jagielka after linking with Michu. Phil Neville then blocked Danny Graham’s strike after Routledge seized the loose ball.

BREAKTHROUGH ... Victor Anichebe celebrates his opener with Everton pals

Ki went closer still for the Swans, clipping a effort inches wide from 25 yards with Tim Howard beaten.

But Everton re-asserted their authority with a wonderful goal.

Neville beat Michu to a long ball near his own right corner, and the former England player’s coolness helped start a move that saw Fellaini and Steven Pienaar combine superbly to tee up Mirallas.

KEVIN SENT ... Mirallas' joy at doubling the Toffees' lead

Vorm did brilliantly to palm the initial strike onto the bar, but the Belgian was back on his feet quickly to convert the rebound for his first Premier League goal.

Swansea should have trailed by just one goal at the break but Rangel wasted two gilt-edged chances. Howard saved the Spaniard’s low shot from Ki’s lovely pass, before Rangel inexplicably volleyed away from goal from Routledge’s cross.

Laudrup withdrew Hernandez and put on Dyer at the break and the home side increased the pressure as Ki was frustrated by a superb Howard save and the American also denied Michu, while Mirallas struck the bar at the other end.

DYER SITUATION ... substitute Nathan Dyer walks off after being red-carded

But Swansea’s hopes of a comeback were dealt a terminal blow when Dyer saw red just 12 minutes into the second half. The winger had already been booked for dissent when a clumsy tackle on Baines earned him a second yellow.

Dyer’s dismissal sapped the life from what had been an entertaining contest, although Fellaini should have scored only to sky over from Anichebe’s ball across the six-yard box.

But the midfielder wrapped the scoring up with eight minutes remaining as he headed home from Baines’ cross with the aid of a deflection off Williams.

HEAD BOY ... Fellaini nods home Everton's third

Swansea’s day was summed up when Jonathan de Guzman’s superb free-kick was kept out by the post in stoppage time.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AVAILABLE FROM MONDAY

Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Tate (Britton 55), Williams, Davies, Ki, De Guzman, Michu, Hernandez (Dyer 46), Routledge, Graham (Shechter 71). Subs Not Used: Tremmel, Monk, Moore, Tiendalli.

Sent Off: Dyer (58). Booked: Williams, Ki, Dyer, Rangel, Michu.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines, Osman, Pienaar (Gueye 85), Coleman, Fellaini (Oviedo 85), Mirallas (Naismith 71), Anichebe. Subs Not Used: Mucha, Distin, Vellios, Duffy.

Booked: Osman. Goals: Anichebe 21, Mirallas 43, Fellaini 82.

Att: 20,464

Ref: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4551939/Swansea-0-3-Everton-Match-report-pictures-and-video-highlights.html#ixzz27DQtVAea