Rodwell bemused by award

Rodwell bemused by award

Published Feb. 20, 2010 8:58 p.m. ET

Jack Rodwell felt embarrassed to win the man-of-the-match award following Everton's 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester United on Saturday.

United grabbed a 16th-minute lead at Goodison Park when Dimitar Berbatov cracked home his ninth goal of the season with a right-foot drive off the underside of the crossbar from seven yards.

It was an advantage, though, that lasted just two minutes and 40 seconds as Edwin van der Sar was given no chance by a stunning 20-yard left-foot swerving shot from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

The match then looked to be heading for a draw until the Toffees' youngsters came to the fore late on.

Both 20-year-old Dan Gosling and 18-year-old Rodwell came off the bench in the second half to hand United their sixth league loss of the season with goals in the 76th and 90th minutes respectively.

After Everton's first league win over United for five years, Rodwell was handed the man-of-the-match bottle of champagne.

However, he said: "I can't really take the man of the match because I've only come on five minutes or whatever.

"Credit goes to all the lads who worked their socks off today. We knew we had to work hard because Manchester United are a good side, and we did that."

Underlining the overall display by Everton, Gosling told Sky Sports 1: "It was a great team performance.

"We've been on a good run of late, and it was nice to get three points.

"We're missing a couple of big players, but we've all come together this week.

"It's been a good week of training and it showed. We worked hard, we ran more than them and we went at them.

"We're a great side home and away, and we've great players who can score goals."

Everton boss David Moyes, whose side have now beaten Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs at home in recent weeks, hailed his team's display as "a brilliant performance".

Moyes said: "It's never easy to beat Manchester United. We keep being reminded as to how many times we've not beaten the top four.

"But recently Chelsea and Manchester United have been here, and we've beaten them both.

"One of the key factors today was getting the equaliser so soon after their goal, and we needed it because they started brightly and we were a little behind it.

"But it was a great team performance, a great work ethic amongst them, and we're beginning to get back to the way we were over the last year or two."

Remarking on the displays of Rodwell and Gosling, Moyes added: "The substitutes came on and made a big impact, and that's part of being in the squad and ready to play.

"They're both talented with great potential to go on, like Wayne (Rooney) at times. We'll try to nudge them along in the right way."

With one eye on a possible place in Europe next season, Moyes said: "We can start to look up rather than down now.

"We've never given up on Europe, but in the same breath I've always said it's a long shot. We'll keep bundling along and see where we end up."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson conceded his side were second best, notably in the second half.

"We were well beaten, simple as that," assessed Ferguson.

"We started the game well enough, but their goal galvanised them and gave them the incentive.

"You don't want to lose a goal so quickly after going in front, but the real effect showed in the second half when we were second best.

"I'm disappointed and the players are disappointed. They're human beings, they play for Manchester United, and they don't like losing, but they've lost today.

"This is a bad result, and at this time of the year we can't afford results like that.

"We hope others drop points, and that's the way it's been going this season. Hopefully it turns out right again."

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