Osman ensures Everton are still flying high – and Merseyside rivals Liverpool are back in business too!
David Moyes was relieved to avoid becoming a victim of the dreaded Manager of the Month curse but he had a long wait, 88 minutes in fact, before Leon Osman made it a double celebration for the Everton boss.
Moyes said: "I am just delighted with the lads. They are doing smashing, just smashing. I felt we fully deserved the victory because they never stopped working and going forward. We didn't take our chances, but I believe the result was merited.
"What we are doing is surprising some people, but I don't see why there is any reason we cannot keep it going. The lads are honest and hard working and they play for each other."
Moyes was especially full of praise for match winner and leading scorer Osman who is really making his mark at Goodison after loan spells at Carlisle and Derby.
"He had a bad cruciate injury a couple of years back and spent much of last season out on loan,' said Moyes. "But he has returned here a better player. Loan spells can do that to a player, just ask David Beckham, who came to Preston when I was still playing there!"
The Everton boss added: "I feel Osman was about the only player at the club who has the vision to score a goal like that.
"It was in a packed area, but he knew how to bring it down and create just enough space to turn and hit it. And he knew exactly where the goal was even if he was turning before he shot."
Local rivals Liverpool also left it late against Fulham, albeit in much more dramatic circumstances. The Reds were 2-0 down at the break, following two Luis Boa Morte strikes, but the half time introduction of Xabi Alonso changed the game.
The Spaniard turned in a 45-minute master class as Liverpool rattled up four second half goals to leave Chris Coleman and his player shell-shocked – especially as Liverpool assumed control with only ten men on the field after the dismissal of Josemi.
Boss Rafael Benitez said: "All I told them at half time was that if we got an early goal we still had a chance to win the game. We just had to be a bit more aggressive. I thought we controlled the first 20 minutes, but then we lost two balls and conceded two goals.
"Xabi is a good player and made a big difference, but we have other players who can win games. I had to pick a team remembering that many of our players had travelled a lot during the week and were tired after international matches.
"We also had to consider a very important match against Deportivo in the Champions League on Tuesday.
"But winning away now is going to be very important to our season. When you play well at home - as this team does - and then you win away it tells you that you can win in any stadium."
