European Cup-Winners Cup, 2nd Round, 2nd Leg: Thursday, 2 November 1995
First Leg: Everton v Feyenoord
Previous Match: Aston Villa v Everton Next Match: Everton v Blackburn Rovers
Blinker 40.
Feyenoord win 1-0 on aggregate
Feyenoord: De Goey, Van Gobell, Boateng, Koeman, Heus, Bosz, Iwan, Trustfull (Zwijnenberg 71), Larsson, (Taument 61), Obiku, Blinker (Witschge 84).
Everton: Southall, Jackson, Hinchcliffe, Short, Watson, Ablett (Barlow 67), Stuart, Ebbrell (Grant 64), Rideout, Horne, Amokachi. Subs Not Used: Kearton. Sent Off: Short (90). Booked: Ebbrell.
Att:
Ref: M Nicchi (Italy).
By John Ley in Rotterdam
AND then there was one. Everton joined English football's European casualty list despite a gallant display in the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam last night. This defeat means that - barring a near-miracle in Blackburn's favour - Nottingham Forest are England's only remaining representatives in Europe.
Regi Blinker's first-half goal determined that Everton, who won the Cup-Winners' Cup in this same stadium 10 years ago, followed the exit from Europe of Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester United.
The sorry fact that not one of England's representatives managed a goal this week was not reflected in Everton's spirited performance, but their disappointment was compounded by the final-minute dismissal of defender Craig Short, for elbowing Ronald Koeman.
On the day a 'crisis' meeting was called by the Football Association to address the sorry departure of so many clubs from European competition, a night which promised much delivered only another damning statistic.
Not that Everton gave up the cause without a fight. Indeed, but for an error by John Ebbrell, which led to the tie's only goal and two fine late saves by Ed de Goey, Feyernoord's Dutch international goalkeeper, Everton might now be holding Forest's hand in Europe.
Everton, whose attacking limitations were again exposed, had forced the better chances in the first half before the 40th-minute goal. Andy Hinchcliffe's free-kick presented Short with an unexpected chance but Ulrich van Gobbel blocked the ball. As the game progressed, so Everton's hopes of a surprise increased.
But then, when the Pole Tomek Iwan squared the ball for Michael Obiku after Everton's marking had been exposed, the Nigerian had time enough to score. Instead, he struck the left post. Ebbrell dwelled needlessly on the clearance, Blinker nicked the ball off him and the man being courted by Blackburn provided a fine finish from an acute angle.
The goal did little to dent Everton's zest and for much of the second half they dominated in terms of possession but constantly failed to break down a defence anchored by Koeman.
Paul Rideout half-volleyed wide, Short was denied again, this time by De Goey, and then in the 73rd minute, another free-kick from Hinchcliffe was palmed over by the goalkeeper.
Both Joe Royle, the Everton manager, and Short criticised Koeman for the incident which led to the dismissal. Short said: "It was retaliation to a dreadful tackle. I could have got my leg broken. I did swing my arm, I don't know if I made contact, but I was angry at the challenge."
Koeman responded by saying: "It was a tackle you see in every match in England, but I can understand his reaction." Royle added: "We needed a break and the nearest we got was when Craig Short nearly had his leg broken. It was a disgraceful tackle."
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(c) 1995 Copyright Nando.net
(c) 1995 Reuter Information Service
ROTTERDAM (Nov 2, 1995 - 18:54 EST) - Feyenoord ended Everton's European dreams on Thursday, putting it out of the Cup Winners' Cup 1-0 on aggregate after a first-half goal from winger Regi Blinker.
The victory capped a disappointing week for Merseyside clubs in Europe after Liverpool went out of the UEFA Cup on Tuesday, also losing 1-0 on aggregate to Denmark's Brondby.
In a keenly-fought first half both teams took time to settle into a rhythm and missed early chances. In the sixth minute Everton's Craig Short failed to score after finding himself unmarked in front of goal from an Andy Hinchcliffe free-kick.
Six minutes later Feyenoord's Henke Larsson slipped a ball through to Mike Obiku who escaped two Everton defenders and keeper Neville Southall, only to skew the ball wide of the right hand post.
On a wet and slippery pitch, some of the challenges from both teams looked reckless and in the 17th minute Everton's John Ebbrell was booked for a tackle from behind on Larsson.
In the 39th minute sustained Feyenoord pressure paid off. Mike Obiku split the Everton defense only to see his shot rebound off the post. But Blinker, rumored to be the subject of a Blackburn offer, was on hand to collect on the edge of the 18-metre area and slid the ball past a diving Southall.
In the second half Feyenoord started strongly, with winger Blinker often finding space down the right flank to test the Everton defense.
But the Merseyside team came back, applying pressure of their own through Daniel Amokachi, who caused the Rotterdammers problems with darting runs on both wings.
Chances fell to Amokachi, Hinchcliffe and Graham Stuart but it was not to be Everton's night. As they desperately searched for an equalizer Everton looked increasingly rattled. After a challenge with Feyenoord veteran Ronald Koeman, Everton's Short was sent off in the last minute of play.
Feyenoord: 1-Ed Goey, 2-Ulrich van Gobbel, 3-George Boateng, 4-Ronald Koeman, 5-Ruund Heus, 6-Peter Bosz, 7-Tomek Iwan, 8-Orlando Trustfull (71st 15-Clemens Zwijnenberg), 9-Henke Larsson (61st 14-Gaston Taument), 10-Mike Obiku, 11-Regi Blinker (84th 12-Rob Witschge).
Everton: 1-Neville Southall, 2-Matthew Jackson, 3-Andy Hinchcliffe, 4-Craig Short, 5-Dave Watson, 6-Gary Ablett (66th 12-Stuart Barlow), 7-Graham Stuart, 8-John Ebbrell (64th 15-Tony Grant), 9-Paul Rideout, 10-Barry Horne, 11-Daniel Amokachi.
Reut17:04 11-02-9
Dave Shepherd, who 'watched on the radio'.
The startling thing about the radio commentary was J Armfield, well-know depreciant of all non-Man Utd football, who spent the whole 90 mins raving about how well EFC played, and how they deserved to win, never mind draw. (This in stark contrast to the two action commentators, who could only drone on about the 'disaster week' for all British clubs in Europe).
So we became the third English club in 3 days to dominate a game yet fail to score. What a sick prospect for Sunday - failure league champs against failure cup winners. We had 9 corners to their 1, and 7 other decent or good shots to their 5... i.e. we did everything but get that tiny bit of luck, like a post-rebound to our man, a ref allowing an offside, a keeping error, whatever.
The linesman (Italian too?) had already tried to give them a free goal with their only other first-half chance on 10 mins by ignoring an offside, and then he ignored another offside for their goal. Thanks dude. May all your Christmases be bright.
While I'm doing the rounds, I'd also like to say a big thank you to Man Utd for f#*^ing us about so much in the summer that Andrei was not eligible to play, and to the cretins from Glasgow who have jailed our Duncan. From 9 corners & the radio, I have to suspect that we were let down by Andy Hinchcliffe's delivery. Feyenoord were useless in the in the air during the first leg at Goodison Park. With any decent service, we should have buried them, with ~4 goals from corners alone over both legs.
Amo seemed to be the only creator with his strength and pace, and just lousy luck that shots from Rideout (2), Stuart, Ebbrell and Short did not go in. Finally Craig Short ought to be awarded the VC for bravery in a war zone by standing up to bonecrusher Koeman and giving him some of his own treatment. I hope all England cheered when they saw Koeman get elbowed.
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