James Ward-Prowse leads Southampton comeback at spiralling Everton

Everton’s board of directors were told to stay away by their own security advisers but wherever they are, there is a decision to make. Frank Lampard’s toothless team suffered yet another defeat, their 10th in 13 fixtures coming against last-placed Southampton, to continue what appears an inexorable slide towards the Championship.

A few thousand Everton fans stayed behind after the final whistle to demand change at boardroom level but, according to the club’s absent owner, Farhad Moshiri, none is on the agenda. But relegation is. James Ward-Prowse delivered the first win and points of Nathan Jones’s tenure as Southampton manager with two polished second-half strikes after Amadou Onana had given Everton the lead with his first goal for the club.

Had any of the Everton board been present they would have seen banners all around the ground telling them to quit. One was even reserved for the chief finance officer, Grant Ingles, although most were aimed at the chairman, Bill Kenwright, and urged owner Moshiri to implement overdue change in the running of a club in long-term decline.

It was a different matter in respect of the Everton team. Hundreds of supporters waited on Goodison Road hours before the game to welcome the team coach while Lampard and his players received a warm ovation when emerging for the kick-off. Considering they had not produced a Premier League win since 22 October, it was an impressive response by the Goodison faithful and underlined their desperation to escape another season of relegation torment.

There were more nerves than quality on display in the first half. It was 18th v 20th in the table, so that was no great surprise. Everton controlled the possession and tempo while Southampton, seeking to build on Wednesday’s accomplished Carabao Cup defeat of Manchester City, were sharp on the attack. A poor final touch or decision in front of Jordan Pickford’s goal, however, regularly undermined their confident buildup play.

Ward-Prowse had the visitors’ first opening when found in space on the right of the Everton area by Che Adams. The Southampton captain opted against a shot and squared to Mohamed Elyounoussi instead. Jones threw his arms up in despair when Elyounoussi’s shot was charged down and a fine opportunity was wasted. Ibrahima Diallo sliced wide with the Everton defence retreating against a counterattack while Elyounoussi had a shot deflected over Pickford, and just over Adams’s head at the back post, by Vitalii Mykolenko. From the resulting corner Mohammed Salisu headed against Pickford’s palms from close range.

Everton fans with a banner in protest to chairman Bill Kenwright and the board. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters

Demarai Gray and Onana were Everton’s most likely sources of inspiration. The winger shot wide from a tight angle after running on to Mykolenko’s ball into the Southampton box. He also won and delivered the corner that lifted some of the gloom around Goodison when Onana headed the hosts into a precious lead shortly before the break. The powerful midfielder held off Elyounoussi as Gray’s delivery arrived in the middle to steer a thumping header beyond the goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.

Everton were energised. Gray and Onana reprised their combination at a free-kick and, though Bazunu spilled the midfielder’s header across the face of goal, Southampton cleared before Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Mykolenko could pounce. Alex Iwobi, starting just eight days after suffering an ankle injury in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United, then curled a shot inches wide from 25 yards.

Ward-Prowse served notice of his threat from deep, Lampard-like midfield runs in first-half stoppage time when connecting with Samuel Edozie’s pass along the edge of the Everton area. Pickford reacted superbly to tip his shot on to a post but the warning was not heeded. Within seconds of the restart, Southampton’s captain drew his team level.

Jones switched Kyle Walker-Peters from left midfield to his favoured right-back position at the interval and was rewarded immediately when the defender’s lofted ball found the head of Adams. Ward-Prowse was first to the forward’s flick into the Everton area and cut inside a sliding challenge from Ben Godfrey before rolling a confident finish past Pickford.

Calvert-Lewin struck the Southampton crossbar with a shot that deflected off Salisu and Godfrey was unable to convert at the back post when Bazunu missed an Onana cross. But just when Everton were in the ascendancy, with Lampard throwing Anthony Gordon into the fray in search of a winner, they were punished by Ward-Prowse once more. Gordon gave the midfielder a free-kick in a position he craves with a foolish foul on Adams after Everton had dealt with a Southampton counterattack. With a certain inevitability, the captain lifted the set-piece up and over the wall and inside Pickford’s right-hand post with the keeper rooted to the spot.

James Ward-Prowse watches his free-kick curl into the Everton net to give Southampton the lead. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Jones had the first Premier League points of his Southampton reign. Lampard’s reign, by contrast, may have reached its last.