On This Day in Everton History: May 13th

It’s that time of year where seasons (usually) draw to a close, dreams are realised and shattered, and in Everton’s case, somewhere between sixth and eighth place is usually locked up.

Today we look back at the endings to three more recent campaigns, including one impressive win, a victory that should have been, and a dreadful slump to conclude a similarly wretched season:

2007 - Spurs beat Everton to fifth as Blues denied win at Chelsea

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

A generally impressive 2006-07 campaign for Everton was rounded off on this day 13 years ago, but a 1-1 draw at runners-up Chelsea proved more bittersweet than it should have.

The hosts extended their unbeaten home run in the league to a remarkable 63 games, but could easily have seen that ended by the Toffees, who took the lead early in the second half through James Vaughan’s tap-in.

Didier Drogba levelled soon after, though David Moyes was left incensed by what he deemed a clear foul by Chelsea’s Paulo Ferreira on Mikel Arteta in the build-up to the equaliser.

And Everton could later feel aggrieved not to have won it at the death when James McFadden’s strike was bizarrely ruled out due to James Beattie, nowhere near the ball at the time, being deemed offside.

The draw and Tottenham’s final day win saw Spurs leapfrog the Blues into fifth, but a sixth-placed finish still represented a major improvement on the previous year and secured UEFA Cup football for 2007-08.

2012 - Jelavic goal glut continues as Everton end up seventh

Nikica Jelavic capped off a stunning second half to the 2011-12 season with his 11th goal since signing on January 31, as Everton ended Newcastle’s faint Champions League hopes with an assured performance and 3-1 victory.

Steven Pienaar, another inspired January signing initially returning on loan from Tottenham, fired the Blues in front early on from 20 yards, before a typically composed finish from Jelavic doubled Everton’s lead soon after.

Johnny Heitinga’s free header made it three midway through the second half, and even Tony Hibbert got on the score sheet... courtesy of an own goal, of course.

The only sour note was Tim Cahill’s injury-time red card for raising him to Yohan Cabaye; the Australian would move on in the summer for New York Red Bulls after eight memorable years at Goodison Park.

2018 - Allardyce reign endures fittingly drab ending at West Ham

A season of truly abysmal football from Everton was rather epitomised in its final 90 minutes here, as Sam Allardyce’s final game in charge of the Blues saw his old club West Ham ease past them in a tepid 3-1 defeat.

Everton were dreadful, as they had been for much of the campaign under both Ronald Koeman and later Allardyce, and thoroughly deserved the loss inflicted on them by David Moyes’ Hammers.

Oumar Niasse got a consolation goal in response to Manuel Lanzini’s brace and Marko Arnautovic’s long-rang effort which Jordan Pickford really should have saved. Indeed, it rather summer up just how chaotic this season that a man unwanted by many of his Everton managers would have the final say, and finish as the club’s second-highest scorer with nine goals.

Allardyce parted company with Everton three days later, putting the fans who endured his soporific brand of football for almost six months out of their misery.