Ahead of today’s game against Nottingham Forest, we look at three memorable Everton goals at the City Ground.
3 – Abdoulaye Doucoure, Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton. April 2025
Who doesn’t love a stoppage time winner? In front of the away end with mere seconds to play?
With the game fizzling out towards a goalless draw, the Blues hit Forest on the break. Dwight McNeil pickpocketed the ball on the half way line before playing a perfectly weighted through ball to the right foot of Doucoure.
He wasn’t a bad finisher, Doucs, but we’ve all seen his Bambi on ice act whenever he got near the opposition penalty box. Not on this occasion. Cool as you like.
Perhaps it was his hopes of a new contract, as his celebration suggested, that allowed him to maintain his composure.
Still, great finish.
2 – Duncan Ferguson, Nottingham Forest 0-2 Everton. September 1998
The Big Man scored a brace that day to win the game for the Blues. His first goal came on 73 minutes and it was a typical Dunc diving header.
A floated ball into the box from the left was met with deadly accuracy from the totemic centre-forward. Right in front of the travelling away fans.
10 minutes later, Ferguson doubled his and Everton’s tally for the day with a lethal left-footed effort from the edge of the area.
Extra points for this one as we had on my favourite ever Everton kit.
1 – Dwight McNeil, Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton. December 2023
It was a pure, crisp hit on the half volley at the back post from McNeil. And it happened to be the winner as well.
However, the overall context of this goal makes it even more significant. Just two weeks earlier, Everton had been deducted 10 points by the Premier League and sat rock bottom of the table.
A defeat at home to Manchester United made matters worse. These three points were our first following the deduction and lifted the club off the foot of the table, up to 18th.
The Toffees would win the next three games against Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley, eventually finishing in a relatively comfortable 15th.
This was the goal that sparked the comeback.
