Goodison shook and everton had hope - bournemouth win as told by those behind it

TWO YEARS ON FROM A SEASON-ENDING WIN THAT STAVED OFF DISASTER, THE ECHO LOOKS BACK ON THE VICTORY OVER BOURNEMOUTH THAT PAVED THE WAY FOR A BETTER FUTURE 14:00, 28 May 2025 “When Abdoulaye

Doucoure’s goal went in, the stadium was shaking, the gantry was shaking like no gantry I’ve been on in my life.” Those were the words of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville after he witnessed

the Grand Old Lady at her finest. They came after Doucoure sent Goodison Park wild with his stunning second half strike against Bournemouth, two years ago today. The stadium shook and the

celebrations were heard across the Mersey after a goal that lifted Everton out of the bottom three and eventually assured the club would remain in the Premier League. With the Blues now on

the cusp of a brighter future, few moments showcase just how close the club was to catastrophe over recent years. The final campaigns at Goodison were marred by relegation fights, financial

problems and boardroom chaos. READ MORE: David Moyes pays tribute to victims and emergency services after Liverpool parade crashREAD MORE: Paul Gascoigne reveals X-rated David Moyes Everton

message that sparked immediate transfer With the new stadium having been handed over in December, days after the completion of the takeover of the club by The Friedkin Group, Everton can

look to the future with optimism. Things could have been so different had it not been for that half volley from Doucoure as Everton took their survival fight to the final week of the season

for the second consecutive year. It was a goal that saw Doucoure’s name imprinted into club legend and, unsurprisingly, was the highlight of his five years with the Blues - a stint that has

now come to an end. He barely remembers the moment itself though, the 32-year-old telling the ECHO last year: “I remember it a little bit, not too much because at that time there is too much

going on in your head - all of the season, all the problems I had, all these kind of things - we think about everything and that was one big relief. Maybe I had that for one or two minutes

but then after that it was that ‘we must not concede another goal, we need to win this game’. There was so much going on at that time but obviously it was a great, great memory.” Doucoure

was a fitting hero that day. Having been frozen out by Frank Lampard he was immediately recalled when Sean Dyche was appointed boss that January. He repaid the faith by scoring the goals

that took Everton into the final day with the club’s fate in their own hands - as well as the brace in the season-changing win at Brighton and Hove Albion he provided big moments against the

likes of Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. “I have seen it lots of times and it's my favourite goal in terms of the situation and everything”, he added. “It was the most nerve-wracking

and my best moment in football. That is the paradox. The worst because it was mentally tough but it's the best because the end was so beautiful.” GOODBYE GOODISON PARK - SOUVENIR

EDITION Everton are soon set to say goodbye to Goodison Park as the Toffees play out their final few matches in their iconic home before moving to their incredible new stadium at

Bramley-Moore Dock. And to celebrate this historic and poignant event, the ECHO has produced this stunning special souvenir edition that no fan can afford to be without as they bid farewell

to their iconic and beloved home. We have delved into the ECHO archives to unearth fascinating stories from the famous ground's past, including how it came to be built in 1892 and where

its world-famous name came from. Buy nowand have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents on

Merseyside from April 2, 2025. You can also purchase Goodison's Greatest, our celebration of an era when Everton ruled English football. If you love Everton, you’ll just love this -

order your copy today, simply click here! And that's not all, also available is ParkLife, a a high quality, 312 page publication showcasing 133-years of Goodison history in pictures.

Available here. Then there's Farewell to Goodison, celebrating 100 of the best moments at the Grand Old Lady, available to purchase now. While Goodison trembled with nerves for much of

the game there was at least one person in Royal Blue who did not feel the pressure of the occasion. Jordan Pickford recently told the ECHO he had entered that game convinced the club would

be safe having fought through the tension of the Palace win a year earlier. He said: “Against Bournemouth, I felt pretty chilled. It didn’t feel as pressurised. It felt easy. I was like we

did it last year, we might as well do it again. We still had to win the game but we kind of controlled the game better. Then Doucs comes up with that. It was a different feel from Palace.”

For club captain Seamus Coleman, one of a host of players forced to watch from the sidelines due to injury, it was a different story. This was another escape in which his passion and

influence behind the scenes was crucial and he was pivotal in the dressing room without kicking a ball. Last summer, he told reporters including the ECHO: “Going back to the Palace night, it

was horrible. Then the Bournemouth game, we were a kick away from being relegated. There’s big pressure. But I can’t park it. That’s my character. It’s always there and it’s all in or

nothing.” Coleman had been stretchered off in the draw at Leicester City weeks earlier - a result that meant Everton retained control of their destiny thanks to Pickford’s penalty save from

James Maddison. Leicester were later relegated at the Blues’ expense. In the games that followed, more players succumbed to knocks, with the draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers marred by

injuries to Nathan Patterson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Yerry Mina’s 99th minute equaliser sent Everton into the Bournemouth game knowing a win would be enough but with Dyche having to

shuffle his pack - with Conor Coady returning to the defence and James Garner having to move to right wing back - it took a number of standout performances to keep the Cherries at bay. It

remains Garner’s best performance for Everton and it is one he has heralded as a turning point after a tough first season that was blighted by injury. Months later, he said: “I think that

game showed supporters what I could do. I played seven or eight games towards the back end of last season and I think that last game, even though I was out of position, let me show them what

I was all about, that I will give 100% for the club, and I have the quality to go with it.” After the game the mood inside the stadium was a world apart from the elation of the comeback win

over Crystal Palace that had secured safety 12 months earlier. That night was a moment of joy when it felt as though club and fanbase had been reunited after a season that began with the

ill-judged appointment of Liverpool FC legend Rafa Benitez as Blues boss. Under the early summer sunshine there was an atmosphere of relief rather than ecstasy among the home faithful. Dyche

captured the state of play well in a tense post-match press conference in which he branded the occasion a “horrible day” and one that must not be repeated. In a message to the club

hierarchy, he said: “There is no joy in it for me other than getting the job done: loads of work, trying to compact so much change in such a relatively short period – particularly with

injuries and suspensions, contracts and all the stuff going on here, the underlying bigger news of Everton which since I've been here has been more or less negative about everything so

that I've had to try to change and that's been difficult. Article continues below "But the positive side is we got the job done, the players played their part without doubt. I

came in here to change a mentality and I think there have been signs of that. There is still more to go. "I said to the players: 'We shouldn't be here. Enjoy this today and

you've earned it but at the end of the day it has got to change.’ There is no point in sitting on it and saying 'look how great we are' because it is not like that. There is

loads to change here and a lot of work to be done but it was a big step to secure it.” It was another 18 months before the TFG takeover provided Everton with stability off the pitch that it

is now hoped will allow them to look up the table. It is an ambition that would not have been possible had it not been for Doucoure’s goal and the crucial three points it earned on May 28,

2023.