Match Summary
Perhaps a more serious test of Everton's progress comes with the friendly challenge of the strongest side so far in this mammoth pre-season gamefest. David Moyes has chosen a rather defensive side as he reverts to a more recognizable (if somewhat unexciting) line-up, with the usual slew of subs likely to be swapped in.
Some key names missing from the teamsheet include Ferguson (resting, with a wee strain...), Rodrigo (joined the squad late?), and goalkeeper Richard Wright (also joining late, and being rested until perhaps Monday and the game at Hibs). Trialists Konstantinos Loumboutis and Ibrahim Said are both involved but Omar Daley stayed on Merseyside and is training/playing with the reserves.
Gary Naysmith put the Blues ahead in the first half with a sharp goal. Subs did not appear until the 56th minute, when Unsworth and Alexandersson were introduced, soon followed by Gravesen and Linderoth. More goals finally came mainly as a result Gravesen's presence: he scored the second and made the third for Campbell.
Highlights
1 min: Hibbert plays long ball up the channel to Radzinski, whose shot from inside the area went wide. 5 mins: Pembridge shot deflected for a corner. 13 mins: Stubbs concedes a free kick 25 yards out but the Blues clear the danger. 18 mins: Naysmith cracks a left-footed shot past the keeper to put the Blues in-front. 33 mins: Pembridge causing problems for their defence. His first shot is deflected out and Stubbs latches on to lay the ball off for the Welshman, who lifts his shot over the bar. 37 mins: Campbell's shot forces a great save from keeper. 38 mins: First real problem at the other end: Gerrard clears the ball from his near post after Brewster tried to head the equaliser. 41 mins: Hibbert crosses to Naysmith whose header is tipped over the bar. 43 mins: Loumboutis's cross finds Watson who shoots over the bar. 46 mins: Naysmith closing in on goal but can't tee up a shot. 54 mins: Danger for Everton: Lee Bullen's header cracks the top of the woodwork and Stephen Crawford's rebounded shot is blasted over the bar. 56 mins: Alexandersson and Unsworth on; Naysmith and Watson off. 61 mins: Gravesen and Linderoth on, Pembridge and Carsley off. Dempsey of for Kilgannon. 62 mins: Kilgannon beats Weir and Stubbs in area and shoot but Gerrard saves. 70 mins: Rooney introduced as a substitute and almost scores with first touch but his header comes off the underside off the bar and out to relative safety. 75 mins: Gravesen bags Everton's second, with a low shot from the edge of the area, though Ruitenbeek did manage to get a hand to the ball. 81 mins: Campbell connects with quick throw in from Gravesen and shoots into the right hand corner.
Edited from the Official Site (to correct abysmal spelling!)
Report
The goals just keep on coming... Today via Naysmith, Gravesen, and Campbell. The first on 17 mins, a ball from the back, Naysmith took on the left back and all the Dunfermline players just stopped in their tracks thinking the ref was going to blow for a bit of shirt tugging; no whistle, Naysmith knocked the ball into the net.
A few other chances: Radzinski had a couple of half chances both just off target. The only other real goal scoring chance in the first half fell to Campbell on 36 mins after a mistake in the heart of the defence: the ball fell in the six yard area right at Campbell's feet but his snap shot with power was blocked by Marco Ruitenbeek.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 - 1 Everton
No mass changes at half time, although a big cheer was forthcoming when Rooney took to the field later on during the half.
We were on the back foot for the first 20 min's of the half, Lee Bullen hit the bar with a header then we started to settle down and play football again. Gravesen, who had not been on long, scored the goal of the game with a run from deep, taking on the watching defenders, then letting fly from what must have been 18 yards out.
On 80 mins, Campbell made it 3-0 on another ball from midfield. He saw a bit of space and ran on to the ball after a kind bounce; he then put the game well beyond Dunfermline.
Gravesen almost made it 4: he hit the post just before the end after another good deep run from midfield with a well-hit shot.
Steve Milne