Kevin Mirallas menace adds to Toffees turmoil in Baggies bore draw

Everton, odds-on 1/2 with Coral for a top 10 finish, were haplessly held to a scoreless draw at Goodison Park by West Bromwich Albion, after Belgium winger Kevin Mirallas controversially missed from the spot.

The Toffees’ Premier League woes were summed up with one swing of Mirallas’ right foot, as he struck a penalty off the post, after grappling the ball away from regular spot-kick taker Leighton Baines.

Mirallas’ missed penalty proved very costly to Roberto Martinez’s men, as they were eventually held to a goalless draw by Tony Pulis’ defiant Baggies, leaving the troubled Toffees without a victory in their last six league games.

Everton’s previous win came before the Christmas period, when they eased past Harry Redknapp’s QPR with a 3-1 triumph at Goodison Park. Mirallas was on target that day, but the winger has rapidly went from hero to villain on the blue half of Merseyside.

After stealing the ball from Baines, despite protests from his Toffees teammates, Everton’s talented Belgian failed to convert and was quickly withdrawn at half-time by his livid manager.

However, Spanish boss Martinez denied that his decision to substitute the player was because of Mirallas’ fatal on-the-field choices, declaring an injury was to blame for hauling him off.

It was the 27-year-old wideman’s miss which proved to be costly, after deciding to take over spot-kick duties, despite England’s left-back boasting an incredible conversion rate of 15 from his last 16 penalties.

Martinez’s team were in contention for a possible Champions League spot at this stage last season, but after a poor result against the Baggies, it looks more likely that the Merseyside outfit will be involved in a relegation fight for the remainder of this current campaign.

The toiling Toffees are now a massive 17 points adrift of Manchester United in fourth place and just four above the drop zone, sitting in 12th position in the domestic league table.