SOCCER: ENGLISH FA CUP FOURTH ROUND REPLAYS: Everton 1 Liverpool 0IT IS never easy to prise close neighbours apart. And it took a goal in the 118th minute from Dan Gosling to win in a tense night at Goodison Park.
This FA Cup fourth-round replay could not be settled in normal time. Everton, all the same, might have gone in front after 70 minutes. Though Liverpool enjoyed a technical superiority, despite the early departure of an injured Steven Gerrard, David Moyes’s side was sharp then as Tim Cahill found Leon Osman and the midfielder cracked his drive against a post. A greater opportunity seemed to lie before them when the visitors’ midfielder Lucas was sent off with a second booking after fouling Joleon Lescott. Progress was still difficult here.
Containing the firepower of the visitors was, inevitably, the priority, particularly at the outset. Liverpool, buoyed by Sunday’s win over Chelsea, initially dominated territory with confident passing. The significant relief for Everton came with the departure of Gerrard in the 16th minute. He had collected a hamstring strain and will probably miss next week’s England game against Spain.
Even with the midfielder present there had been scant openings and the half-volley that Xabi Alonso put wide after seven minutes had been possible purely because the Everton left-back Leighton Baines had inadvertently headed possession to him.
Despite Gerrard’s disappearance Everton were comparatively disadvantaged, but they seem to thrive on that. They had just drawn twice at Anfield, in league and Cup, against moneyed Liverpool.
The visitors had sufficient experience to shrug at the hostile nature of the environment. The one vaguely experimental note was the inclusion of Lucas.
Still, Liverpool did look fractionally more poised before the interval. Dirk Kuyt took over the shadow role that Gerrard had been filling and Benayoun operated towards the right. The Israeli had made a vivid impression after being introduced against Chelsea on Sunday. Space was far tougher to locate here.
Fernando Torres’ goals against Chelsea confirmed his talent but in the opening 45 minutes at Goodison there was no team-mate who could release him.
As a derby match, this was predictably an unkempt affair then. The referee may have been conscious of the need to stifle incipient disorder when booking Tim Cahill, a little harshly, for a challenge on Jamie Carragher. There could be no quibbling, though, over the caution for Steven Pienaar for a late challenge on Lucas.
The second half had barely opened before Phil Neville became the third Everton player to be cautioned. Lucas soon collected a yellow card, too. It is a disappointing fact that discussion of these decisions was about as rewarding a pastime as studying the action.
Moyes himself must have been disappointed, too, since he withdrew Marouane Fellaini and introduced Dan Gosling in his place. The attrition, all the same, was not wholly distasteful to Everton. They are a good and well-organised side but they cannot afford the talents at Benitez’s disposal. Endurance and patience are key qualities in this line-up.
Stalemate is, to a degree, encouraging for them. Liverpool were the ones being asked to live up to their prominence. That did not come readily, even though Moyes eventually had to bring on Jack Rodwell for Pienaar, who had hurt himself while fouling Lucas.
Liverpool may have been encouraged. Alonso was soon sending Albert Riera through in the inside-left position but he could not force a finish past the advancing goalkeeper Tim Howard. It was a match in which most avenues were barricaded.
GuardianService
EVERTON: Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines; Neville, Arteta; Osman, Fellaini (Gosling 54), Pienaar (Rodwell, 61); Cahill. Other subs: Nash, Yobo, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Jacobsen.
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Dossena; Lucas, Alonso; Kuyt, Gerrard (Benayoun, 16), Riera (Mascherano, 80); Torres. Other subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Agger, Babel, El Zhar
Referee: A Wiley (England)
