FA YOUTH CUP, 2001-02

 PAGE CONTENTS

Day   Date  Rnd  Ven Opponents              KO/Res  Scorers                  

Tue  27 Nov  3  (a) West Ham United         W 2-1  Symes 2 (aet)
Wed  28 Jan  4  (h) West Bromwich Albion    W 2-0  Rooney 2
Wed   6 Feb  5  (h) Manchester City         W 4-2  Rooney 2, (og), Beck
Tue  12 Mar  6  (h) Nottingham Forest       W 2-1  Rooney, Carney
Wed  27 Mar SF1 (h) Tottenham Hotspur       W 2-1  Carney, Symes
Wed   3 Apr SF2 (a) Tottenham Hotspur       W 2-1  Rooney 2
Tue  14 May  F1 (h) Aston Villa             L 1-4  Rooney
Sat  18 May  F2 (a) Aston Villa             W 1-0  Brown     (Lost 2-4 on agg)

West Ham's team are 4th with 19 points in their section of the Youth League; we are 7th with 12 points in ours.  They have a good history of bringing in kids, so it promised to be a evenly matched game.

Both sides took the time to settle into the game, feeling each other out.  We had the better chances: on 8 min's Symes took a throw in on his chest with his back to goal, turned and shot well out side the area, not too far off target either.  Best chance of the half again fell to Symes: Carney with the cross, Symes half volley hit the cross bar; Rooney could not follow up on the rebound.

Half time: West ham United 0 - 0 Everton

West Ham had most of the possession in the second half.  Pettinger did not have to make a save though, and we just took our time and waited to do the damage – although it did take extra time for us to come good.

Symes, who had been sharp all night, latched on to a backheeled flick from young Alan Moogan. Put through on goal, he just picked his spot to make it 1-0.  Four mins later Everton put the ball in the back of the net to get our name in the hat for the next round.  Symes again, from inside the area, with a hard low shot across goal: 2-0

West Ham did claw a goal back on 116 min's.  Johnson with the cross, Carrick on his own, inside the 6-yd area with no Everton defenders anywhere near him, just taped the ball into the net (just to make us sweat a little...)  A well-deserved win, all the hard work paid off, the journey home will not seem that long now.

There was a decent crowd for such an occasion but it still felt pretty weird and echoy.  Having said that, it was probably the biggest crowd these lads have ever played in front of.  It would certainly explain some of the obvious nerves out there. Within the first few minutes there were a whole catalogue of mis-hits and mis-understandings.  Things did settle down somewhat but there always seemed to be an edginess about proceedings, but then I guess this was a semi-final - notoriously nervy affairs even for seasoned players.

I thought that, throughout, the more measured, considered football came from Spurs.  They tried to play it from the back but seemed to lack a cutting edge.  The passing of the Everton team disappointed me greatly.  Passing movements were few and far between.

The difference between the sides was the attacking threat we provided throughout, mainly through Rooney but he was ably abetted by Symes.  The first goal was a bit of a scrappy affair, Rooney flicked it across goal and Carney bundled it in at the far post.  The second goal was all down to Rooney.  He seized on uncertainty between Spurs defenders, before escaping at pace down the inside right channel.  He then pulled the ball back to Symes who had a fairly comfortable finish.

Rooney and Symes linked up well throughout.  Symes is tall and gangly but he has a good touch, and provided a number of good layoffs.  He also won most stuff in the air including one header from a corner which the 'keeper did well to push over the bar.

Rooney, though, was the star.  Every time he touched the ball, he hinted at danger.  His first touch is very good and he had good awareness of those around him, producing a number of good flicks and passes.  He is also very fast and very direct.  Despite his comparative lack of inches he still possesses a physical presence.

The Spurs team was appreciably bigger than our own, with Rooney probably giving away two years and several inches to the Spurs defenders, yet he more than held his own.  He was also prepared to work very hard for the team.  He also possesses a fearsome shot.  

We had a free kick well outside their box, 40 yards plus.  It soon became apparent that he was lining it up for a shot.  I thought that he was getting a bit cocky and over confident, but he caught it beautifully and as it just cleared the bar it was still going up.  In terms of comparisons to players we know I couldn't help thinking of Robbie Fowler.  He has that strength and perception that Fowler has.  Very impressive.

Apart from the front two no-one else, consistently, caught the eye.  Most seemed to have a few good moments and showed a few good touches, but none stood out in the manner of Symes and Rooney.

An intriguing match is in store at Spurs.  We had the chances last night to have killed off the tie, even if, in terms of general play, that would have been harsh on Spurs.  As it is, we only have a one-goal advantage but, with our attacking threat, there is no reason to go there in fear.

Other Match Reports: EvertonFC.com  FromTheTerrace  icLiverpool.com

The blues started out confidently, playing neat precise football, nearly always to feet, with the odd punt up-field, when under pressure defensively.  The players looked extremely comfortable in a 4-4-2 system with both Rooney and Symes leading the line.  The back four was able to cope with anything Spurs threw at them in the first half, with Andrew Pettinger’s handling looking extremely secure.  The team looked exactly like you would expect a Colin Harvey-coached side to play.

The blues had a couple of opportunities to score early on with Rooney’s acrobatic overhead kick going particularly close and Symes causing all sorts of problems for the Spurs defence.

On 10 minutes, Spurs’ resolve was broken by a magical piece of skill by Rooney.  With his back to goal, the ball was fed into his feet, one touch to control, another to flick the ball over the crowding defender behind him and then a muscular piece of manoeuvring to break free from another defender.  One-on-one with the keeper, he poked it into the far right-hand corner of the Spurs goal.  0-1.  This was a goal of sheer class scored by a boy who has a real poacher’s instincts, a comparison with a young Alan Shearer would not do Wayne Rooney full justice.

Everton played with a confidence of a team that had already achieved its goal without falling into the trap of resting on their laurels.  The two full-backs and Schumacher in the defence especially looked comfortable and unfazed by any of Spurs’ efforts.  Carney, played very effectively in a free role on the right, often in midfield but also supporting the front two, linking with Rooney especially well.

On 38 minutes came the killer blow and what an absolute gob-smacker it was.  Ronney took a free kick, 35-40 yards out, appearing to slightly scuff his shot.  It hit a spurs player and got the rebound bouncing towards him.  He took two steps and hit an absolute scorcher on the half volley, the ball hit the back of the net, in an instant.  It was only after it had happened that you saw the goal instant replaying in your head.  A rising shot from fully 35 yards, rocketing towards the top right hand corner of the goal, which hit the back of the net still rising.

It would have been worth paying full Premiership gate money just for that one piece of skill.  If that goal was shown on 'The Premiership' on Saturday night, it would be a definite candidate for goal of the season, it was that good.

At 4-1 aggregate score the game was over, the tie was over, and a full 45 minutes yet to play.  In the second half, Everton understandably sat back a little and invited Spurs to come at them knowing that they had the option of Symes and Rooney up front.

The only note of criticism was that the central midfield tended to play a bit too deep and gave Spurs too much of the initiative too close to Everton’s 18-yard line.  The Blues’ back four, however coped admirably and Spurs looked a side strong on coaching and technique but devoid of inspiration.

Rooney had one opportunity late on when he turned on the halfway line ran at the Spurs defence, breaking through the close attentions of two Spurs defenders.  He was one-on-one with the keeper but the Spurs' goal-minder did well to block the shot.

Spurs eventually did score a goal, justified by all of the pressure that they had, but it was it was an extremely comfortable win for the Blues.

Carney, B Moogan, Garside and Schumacher as well as Symes and Rooney all played exceptionally well.  Roll-on Villa in the Final and get down to Goodison to see an exceptionally talented side, who promise great things in the future.  Colin Harvey has produced an extremely tight-knit, neat, well-organised and balanced team of great promise.

Other Match Reports: EvertonFC.com  icLiverpool.com  The Times  The FA Website

The first half was uncannily like the Tottenham game.  The opposition were providing the more measured, controlled football, yet through Rooney and Symes we were providing the more potent attacking threat.  Before his goal, Rooney had already had at least two excellent chances. His goal was a simple affair but it showed a nice bit of right-time, right-place syndrome.  Throughout the first half he pestered the life out of the Villa defenders and gave plenty of indication of his huge potential.

Villa also had their fair number of chances and on balance of play no-one could quibble with their equaliser.

The second half was a totally different affair.  Villa stepped up a gear and completely and utterly bossed the second half.  They were better than us in all departments, except perhaps strikers, and even their front pair were no mugs, the number 9 (Stefan Moore) in particular looked more than useful.  Where they particularly dominated though was in midfield where the numbers 6 and 8 (Marshall and Davis) completely overshadowed Moogan and Beck, and where the wide players, Hines and Foley, regularly supplied width.

Their goals came at regular intervals throughout the second half, and they were of some quality.  Some of their passing and interchanging was very slick as they pretty much took us to the cleaners.  With Villa enjoying the vast majority of the possession, we were unable to bring Rooney and Symes into play.  It was only late on that we began to make any sort of headway.  We couldn't argue at all with the 4-1 scoreline — they were a much better team.

I don't know what the comparative ages of the teams were.  I know that we have a very young team this season, and maybe that goes some way to explaining the disparity between the sides.  Certainly they had a composure about them that we lacked.  Every time we got the ball it all seemed a little rushed and hasty with the result being that we soon lost possession.  They, on the other hand, had the composure to make good use of the ball — and that went right through the team from the 'keeper onwards.

Most of our players had their good moments.  Pettinger made some excellent saves; Schumacher looked pretty assured at the back; and Symes and Rooney undoubtedly troubled Villa, particularly in the first half.  All-in-all, though, it must have been a sobering experience for them.

Match Reports: EvertonFC.com  icLiverpool.com  The Times  The FA Website

Match Reports: EvertonFC.com  icLiverpool.com  The Times  The Independent  The FA Website