Bournemouth 1 Everton 0: Super-sub Brooks smashes home late volley as Toffees slip to just TWO POINTS off drop zone

DAVID BROOKS piled more agony on Everton’s beleaguered boss Sean Dyche with a wonder winner at Bournemouth.

Wales star Brooks brought the house down 13 minutes from time when he struck home a delicious volley against the Toffees.

And that goal gave Andoni Iraola’s boys a new club record Premier League run of eight unbeaten matches.

But Everton are free-falling towards the Championship with Dyche’s job on the line as each week passes.

Once again his team were toothless up front and would have left the south coast with sound thumping without the heroics of their goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The Cherries kindly gave Chelsea loanee goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga a deserved rest by dropping him to the bench after becoming the dad of twins.

And the Evertonians were lucky not be crying like babies after eight minutes when Jordan Pickford denied the hosts the lead.

Teenage sensation Dean Huijsen flicked on James Hill’s long throw for what looked like sitter for Dango Ouattara.

But the winger couldn’t get enough impact on the ball and England No 1 Pickford just had enough time to grab it.

Antoine Semenyo had the ball in the visitors’ net within six minutes when he volleyed home Ryan Christie’s cross but was clearly offside.

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And it was Semenyo who threatened again when his low cross struck Jarrad Branthwaite and crashed into the side netting.

There was little seen of Everton’s goal-shy attack but that’s not really a surprise going by last year’s effort.

The Toffees netted a Premier League low 31 goals throughout 2024 and this season alone have created a mere 27 big chances in all their previous league fixtures.

And while they struggled in attack it was left to Pickford to keep them in the match as usual.

This time the No 1 flung out an instinctive hand to keep out Kluivert’s effort after the Dutchman had been set-up by Semenyo.

After yet after another delay for an injury to Armando Broja Cherries fans taunted the visiting supporters: “How can you watch it every week.”

But this was no early time-wasting tactics by Dyche’s boys as the hobbling Broja was replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin on 33 minutes.

That move hardly cheered up the travelling fans knowing their top striker had not scored for 14 games.

Dyche made two changes at the break replacing Orel Mangala and Jesper Lindstrom with Harrison Armstrong and Nathan Patterson.

Yet it didn’t stop the hosts from charging forward as usual with only Pickford’s brilliance standing and flying in their way.

The ever-dangerous Semenyo once again tried his luck with a low drive which the Three Lions star just about clutched to his left.

You could understand why the Everton fans have lost patience with their team’s tactics under Dyche.

The Toffees arrived in Dorset having won only one of their previous 10 matches-and on this form you could see why.

Still the one-man Pickford show continued just after the hour when he dived full length to his right to touch aside Ouattara’s low effort.

In a typical effort to find a late winner as usual Cherries chief Andoni Iraola made a triple substitution 20 minutes from time.

Bournemouth are the comeback kings of the Premier League making an amazing habit of notching late goals.

David Brooks, Enes Unal and Tyler Adams were sent on for Ouattara, Kluivert and Hill in Iraola’s bid to continue the trend.

And once again it worked a treat virtually straight away when Brooks side-footed home an exquisite 77th minute volley from Kerkez’s cross.