Fans Comment
Paul Traill

Isn't It Fantastic
12/12/04

Cahill & Co: Kings of the Hill

Have not felt that good for a long time and can certainly remember feeling the complete opposite on numerous occasions. The 2000-01 sickener springs to mind.

After much divering of how we were going to get there we finally parked up and arrived near the ground and went for a quick pint. As expected it was packed and warm in there so we moved on, figured everywhere else would be much the same and went straight into the ground at about 12:15pm and checked out our seats. We knew we were getting obstructed view but this one was particularly poor with two guilders blocking much of our vision, which made for a lot of sporadic head movements all game. Goodison was packed, loud and tense. Possibly the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced such was the anticipation of this 200th Merseyside derby. A win would put us 12 points clear of Liverpool but more importantly I guess four points from safety and, can you believe it, second in the league. Come on!

There was only the one change from the Bolton win. Ferguson off and Osman on. I was quite surprised as I thought playing Ferguson in the derby might have reaped its rewards to but was not going to question David Moyes decision making. Maybe he threw Ferguson into the Bolton game with an eye on confusing Rafael Benitez for this one. We won the toss and they kicked off towards us. The game was fairly scrappy from the off. It took a while for either team to get a grip of things. Pongole was clearly told to attack Pistone at every opportunity but Pistone had him in his back pocket with an outstanding display, which brought back memories of how he got compared to Maldini when he was younger. Pure class. The balls played up to Mellor were on the whole easy for Stubbs and Weir which meant that it was left for Steven Gerrard to play on his own for a change. Under the Houllier regime I did wonder what Liverpool would be like without Gerrard and Owen. Guess we’ll soon find out. This coupled by the baffling decision to leave Alonso on the bench in place of Diao meant they were never really going to attack an awful lot.

Everton did not start well either though. Bent struggled on his own up front but worked his socks off while the midfield unit were busy themselves trying to create. Liverpool seized control of the game a bit in the first half but without really creating anything. Steven Gerrard slipped while preparing to take a corner, which was well received. As were the “Your going to Chelsea” chants.

David Unsworth was spotted dead centre of the Lower Gwladys, which was brilliant for everyone to see. This lead to a bit of “David Unsworth is an Evertonian” chanting. He was beaming.

As the half wore on Osman was the danger man for Everton. He’s got a clever footballing brain and uses it correctly. I think it was he who slipped the ball in for bent. He wriggled past a challenge before crossing well for Cahill. From about 10 yards he headed goalwards but did not connect properly and it went harmlessly wide. A really great chance and most of Goodison presumed he had scored for a brief second.

If we thought we’d scored then I reckon the Liverpool fans KNEW they had scored when Mellor connected from a Gerrard free kick with a header from about four yards out. Martyn saved in Southall-esque fashion and the ball rebounded off him. Hammann drilled it and Stubbs threw himself at it. Bent hooked it away. Risse played it back in and Weir cleared as far as Gerrard. He pinged it back in and this time Cahill threw himself at it. The ball popped up and Martyn punched away. Only as far as Mellor he should really have scored but contrived to head it harmlessly over the crossbar. A bit of a let off but really due to some fantastic and determined defending by the blues. Everton were sitting deep and I could not wait till half time. It came not long after that. The only other memories I have of the half were two silly bookings for Hibbert and Diao and a Mellor drive which flew about a yard wide. That was pretty much it. It all happened so fast.

Half time the crossbar challenge involved two Santa’s – one in red, one in blue -, Bob Latchford receiving a standing ovation and Chris Woods hit the bar with his effort.

The second half started and no changes from either side. No change in the way the game was going either as Liverpool were still pretty much in control and in possession but still not creating anything. Steven Gerrard made comedy moment number two when he completely spooned a free kick well wide and into the Park End. “£30 million your having a laugh” was the chant.

It was on about the hour mark when something changed. As a unit everyone just seemed to step up a gear. The way we played from the 60th to the 75th minute determined the game and made us deserved winners. Kilbane just attacked, attacked and attacked Josemi whose only answer was to bring him down every time forcing his way into the book. Likewise with Osman on Risse. Gravesen and Cahill kept ticking away in the middle and Carsely was the controlling player just not letting Liverpool get anywhere with the ball. The defence was organised, communicative and strong with Hibbert and Pistone getting forward at the right times. Bents workrate and build up play was also top notch. Osman and Gravesen both created 20-yard shots for themselves, which came close. You could feel it coming.

The goal came when everyone was stood up watching something happening over to the left. Some fight between a blue and a red presumably. While this was happening Kilbane skinned Josemi again and people started to turn round. Gravesen tried to get the ball in towards Cahill but I think it was a bit too high and it came out to Osman. He played it to Bent who ran it away from goal and back to Carsley. He spotted the opportunity and spotted the gap and drilled it hard from about 25 yards. Kirkland should have saved it but he didn’t and the ball flew into the net. Get in. Cue hugging complete strangers and loosing the plot in the Gwladys. Cue absolute delirium. When we looked back at the pitch Carsley was buried under a mass of blue bodies. Every single player was on top of him. Do we have the best team spirit in the county?

Once it was under way again we continued to attack and Cahill had a great chance again, this time from six yards but didn’t connect and it was cleared off the line. After this we seemed to settle on the 1-0 and went a bit deep again but we did defend magnificently. Hibbert went into machine mode and would not let anything past him. Cahill and Carsley snapped at everything and everybody did their jobs. Yobo came on for Gravesen to shore things up. Ferguson came on for Bent and we went a bit long ball-ish. Liverpool had two shots that went close. Guess who hit them both. One flew about a foot wide thanks to Stubbs throwing himself at it and the other was well tipped over by Martyn. It was tense but we weren’t going to let go. At the other end Ferguson managed to get himself booked for snapping at Hypia after a bad challenge. I thought he was going to loose his head and get himself sent off. From the resulting free kick Stubbs smacked it inches wide. Would have been a beauty.

Hibbert won a corner and tried to keep it there but no use. Free kick against Ferguson. Watson came on for the outstanding Leon Osman. His only contribution was to make a crunching tackle, injuring himself in the process. We got deeper and deeper. A ball was fired into the box and there was a bit of a melee, which resulted in the ball being nudged forward by someone only for a combination of Cahill and Martyn to get it off the line. Weir then cleared it out.

The referee found four minutes of stoppage time and it was unbearable. Liverpool got two corners – both were cleared. Kirkland was about 40 yards from his goal and collected it. He fired it back in and Yobo cleared before Cahill booted it towards the Liverpool corner. Some idiot ran on the pitch and tried to spoil things with the corner flag in his hand. That took up a good minute before he was tackled and led off. I thought the ref was going to add this time on as well but I don’t think he dared such was the intensity of the Goodison crowd. Liverpool took the throw and the whistle went. Cue more delirium. Everybody went mental and it was such a fantastic feeling. The players lapped it up.

I can’t remember a time when we’ve gone a good ten minutes after the game singing ”We shall not be moved” simply because I’ve never seen us in such a position before as I was not old enough in the glory days of the 1980’s. Are they coming back? David Moyes is the man to lead us there that much is certain.

Player ratings

• Martyn – Wonderful and crucial save in the first half and dealt with the umpteen back passes very well. 9
• Pistone – Had Pongole in his back pocket all game and showed some class going forward. No longer the weak link at the back – there isn’t one. 9
• Stubbs – Wonderful defensive display. Was there when it mattered. 8
• Weir - See Stubbs. Good distribution also. 8
• Hibbert – Started slowly but was solid as a rock in the second half. 8
• Carsley – Held the team together and scored that oh so important goal. 8
• Kilbane – Skinned Josemi time and time again and ran himself ragged. Don’t know how he’s got so much energy. My man of the match. 9
• Gravesen – Probably the most technically gifted player on the park. Used his head well. 8
• Cahill – Had a stormer. Good passing, tackling and work rate. If he’d have put one of those two chances away he’d have got my man of the match. 9
• Osman – Awesome display from Leo. Never stopped and Liverpool honestly did not know how to handle him. 9
• Bent – Ran himself into the ground as usual and did not have a chance all game. No complaints. 7
• Yobo – Did what he had to and shored things up. 7
• Ferguson – Did his best to spoil things by needlessly getting himself into the book. 5
• Watson – Only contribution was a crunching tackle. Limped round after that. 6

Paul  Traill

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