Season › 2011-12 › News

Blues throw it away again

Liverpool 2 - 1 Everton

Match Summary

One of the strongest Everton line-ups David Moyes could name, with the exception of Royston Drenthe, who did not even make the bench, supposedly due to 'family reasons'.

Everton kicked off in brilliant sunshine, to a fairly scrappy start, Gerrard smashing the ball into Howard Webb's head at one point.

Osman was too easily disposed on the right and Liverpool mounted the first real attack, Heitinga allowing Carroll to get past him and cut it back to Stearing who blasted over.

Better stuff from Everton down the left saw Jelavic win a great free-kick that Baines clipped over the wall and onto the roof of the net in the 6th minute.

Everton were looking just a little overawed, not supporting forward movement, playing the ball backward or resorting to the hoof as Liverpool looked to push them back. Neville hesitated and wasted a throw-in. Distin got tricked by Suarez, right on the edge of the Everton box but Agger bashed it poorly into the Everton wall though Skirtel got a shot in at Howard.

Much better work from everyone in Blue saw Osman win the first corner that saw Distin called for a foul as it came in from Gueye. Baines gave Liverpool their first corner at the other end that Fellaini did well to defend and Osman worked well to move the ball forward only to totally blow a fantastic opportunity to play Jelavic in, his feeble throughball simply pathetic in the circumstances.

Neville did well to beat Downing and poke a ball up for a nice overhead kick by Jelavic that lacked any power. But Everton finally looked to have settled by the 20-minute mark and were having a good spell, keeping Liverpool in their own half.

Then, from nothing, Agger and Carragher hilariously hesitated, Carragher played his clearance straight at Cahill and it fell nicely for Jelavic who was fractionally offside but he finished superbly, passing the ball around Jones and into the net. A wonderful gift from the chaotic red shite!

A fantastic reaction from the Blues fans, who drowned Wembley in a sea of joyous triumphant sound, celebrating a wonderful moment for everyone in Blue as a surge of confidence and self-belief convinced even the die-hard skeptics that this was finally to be Everton's day.

Liverpool looked to respond, but good defending by Everton kept them at bay. However, Baines was strangely quiet on the left and was disinclined to advance when Fellaini tried to play him in. Distin got booked for raising an arm to Suarez, who fooled Webb with his disgusting over-reaction. But Everton were sitting back too much, not really taking advantage and moving forward effectively when they did have possession, relying instead on defensive solidity that prevented Liverpool from getting any real chances..

Jelavic won a threatening free-kick off Skirtel and he took the kick himself but it was poorly struck and well wide from an excellent position. Heitinga and Suarez were having a little bit of a ding-dong, Suraez trying to win a penalty with a rugby tackle on the Everton player!

The half ended with Everton finally pushing forward, Neville putting in a couple of ineffective long throws. But it was advantage Everton at the break...

Everton sat back after the break, and allowed Liverpool to swarm forward, Carroll missing a guilt-edged opportunity at the far post that your grannie would have buried! A wake-up call for the Blues, but they struggled to gain possession and lost it again far too cheaply whenever they did.

Felllaini won a free-kick that caused Jones to flap and give away a corner and it was was helter skelter stuff in the Liverpool area but no chance came from it and Everton were soon back defending.

Fellaini pushed Jelavic forward and he did advance on Jones but shot far too early as the Blues looked to get some rythym. Osman had one of his powder-puff shots that was far too easy for Jones.

Jelavic and Skirrtel got booked for some silliness and from the free-kick, Cahill almost embarrassed Jones. It was then crucially Everton's turn to play silly buggers, Distin playing in Suarez with a simply dreadful back-pass under no pressure, allowing the South American to score with ease, and throwing away a fantastic advantage. But it had all-too clearly been coming since the break.

After that, it was all Liverpool pressure, with Davey dithering over a substitution before Distin's dreadful howler. Moyes looked for Coleman to replace Gueye who had not been all that effective down the left. Everton structured something of an attack but it was all over the place, and Moyes could finally make his defensive change.

Cahill moved back into midfield, with Fellaini playing further forward, and momentarily the shape looked a little better, Baines getting to take his first corner. Osman got in a better shot but straight at Jones.

A Coleman slip that earnt him a yellow card for handball on the ground let Carroll fire a low shot past Howard's other post as the nervous Blues fans wondered if the Blues could offer some better play going in to the final 10 mins of normal time.

Jelavic did get forward off a great flick from Fellaini but he was stretching and could only put his shot into the side netting. At the other end Carroll came close to scoring again.

Coleman came close to picking up a second yellow for a late clip on Gerrard and from the free kick, simple as you like, Carroll headed Liverpool into the lead from Bellamy's whipped cross.

Game over for the Blues, who had been shockingly poor in the second half.

Time for super-sub Anichebe to replace Leighton Baines, who had been very poor and did not put a single cross in. But three minutes would not be enough, as Liverpool incredibly did not score a third, thanks to an amazing intervention by Coleman to deny Rodriguez. Suarez was then denied by Howard.

Despite the gift of the first-half lead, Everton had not been themselves. But to go ahead, and give their fans the belief was so deceptive as they simply did not show for the second half. Desperately disappointing.

Everton: Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines (87' Anichebe); Osman, Gibson, Fellaini, Gueye (66' Coleman); Cahill; Jelavic. Subs: Hahnemann, Hibbert, Jagielka, Stracqualursi, McFadden, .

Attendance: 87,231

Michael Kenrick

Quotes or other material sourced from ToffeeWeb

• Match summary and discussion
• Full match report [link fixed]

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