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Late Cheltenham goals beat Everton in EFL Trophy

Tuesday, 4 October, 25comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton's Under-23s lost 2-1 at Whaddon Road as two goals in the last 10 minutes turned the match on its head.

The Blues came into the game on a fine streak of form, with eight wins and only one loss across all competitions so far this season. They headed Group A in the revamped Football League competition (formerly, the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) that is sponsored this season by Checkatrade.

They beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 back in August, and will play Blackpool at Goodison Park on Tuesday 8 November in their final group game.

And they got off a to a great start at Cheltenham's LCI Rail Stadium when David Henen fired in off the goalkeeper with just five minutes on the clock.

The home side would recover, however, and Mateusz Hewelt had to make a fine save just before half-time to preserve the lead after Oumar Niasse had seen his attempt to make it 2-0 cleared off the line with half-an-hour gone.

Antonee Robinson went close for the Blues in the second half but, with chances at a premium, Cheltenham suddenly struck through a Billy Waters header that levelled the game in the 82nd minute.

Three minutes later, Bassala Sambou executed a well-timed tackle inside the box to sweep the ball away from danger but was inexplicably adjudged to have pulled Dayton down in the box by referee Lee Probert and Danny Wright scored from the spot to make it 2-1.

Everton: Hewelt, Bainbridge, Yarney, Foulds, Robinson, J Williams (85' Brewster), Baningime, Walsh, Henen (76' Sambou), Dyson, Niasse (57' McAleny).
Subs not Used: Renshaw, Rodrigeuz, Holland, Donohue.

Referee: Lee Probert

Article continues below video content


The EFL Trophy is set up in 'Champions League' style and, controversially, features 15 other Category 1 Academy or 'Development' sides from senior clubs, each playing against three professional Football League first teams from League One or League Two in 16 regional groups.

Of the Premier League clubs, only 10 took up the offer to participate in this inaugural trial, forcing the organizers to invite six Category One 'B' teams from the Championship. Development teams are required to field a minimum of six Under-21 players in their starting eleven, while Football League clubs must field a certain number of first-team players. All participants must go by the club's proper name, i.e. not "Under-23s" in the case of the Premier League development sides.

The top two teams from each group will enter the Round of 32 knockout stage in the New Year, with the prize of a Wembley final on 17 April.

Full match preview at EvertonFC.com

Reader Comments (25)

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Michael Kenrick
1 Posted 03/10/2016 at 21:36:44
Interesting note to the highlights of the Bolton game, as featured on the OS Link above. The players are wearing what appear to be individual squad numbers in the range 41 to 67 (with gaps, obviously) yet, according to the the official website, most of these players still don't get squad numbers.

And it mentioned in the Echo that Niasse had finally been accepted by Ronald Koeman as a player in his senior squad, although he has still not been given a squad number.

Matt Butlin
2 Posted 03/10/2016 at 23:12:26
What chance of Niasse coming back from the brink and actually contributing something this season? He must have something about him, surely.
Alan J Thompson
3 Posted 04/10/2016 at 04:39:22
I think a competition where younger players get the experience of and opportunity to play regularly and with some first team squad players can only do good especially as all of them can't go out on loan.

As for Niasse, Everton may have paid well over the odds for him but, as at least two clubs have spent money on him, he at least deserves an opportunity to show why.

Paul Turner
4 Posted 04/10/2016 at 13:45:42
٣ admission tonight at Whaddon Road (١ concessions/youngsters). Seems only the paddock & main stand will be open. Any other Gloucester-based Blues going?
Ian McDowell
5 Posted 04/10/2016 at 19:30:17
Niasse starts tonight.
Geoff Trenner
6 Posted 04/10/2016 at 19:49:55
Paul, I thought about a detour off the M5 on my way home to Somerset tonight but the client has asked me to spend another day in t'North...
Ian McDowell
7 Posted 04/10/2016 at 20:01:11
1-0 Everton. Own goal I believe.
Dave Abrahams
8 Posted 04/10/2016 at 21:34:57
Losing 2-1 at the moment.
Brian Wilkinson
9 Posted 04/10/2016 at 21:39:29
All over: lost 2-1.
Tony Twist
11 Posted 04/10/2016 at 21:44:56
Crashed and burned 2-1 after being 1-0 up. Not good!
Andrew Presly
12 Posted 04/10/2016 at 23:56:05
https://mobile.twitter.com/hEaLeR_CTFC/status/783409523553959936

If that's a penalty, I give up.

David Donnellan
13 Posted 05/10/2016 at 00:44:44
I'm a Gloucester-based blue, Paul (#4), I was there.

I thought the lads were the better side tonight & were unlucky to lose. First time I have seen some of these players tonight, including Liam Walsh. I have to say what a player he is, highly impressed! Great touch balance & quick silky feet. Without going too over the top, the lad at times looked Messi-esque the way he glided past players, I hope we get to see him in the first team in the future. Only a slight fella but it didn't seem to hold him back tonight.

Joe Williams was another lad who caught my eye, I thought he had a great game & was involved in a lot of Everton's play.

On tonight's viewing, I don't think Niasse has a future at Everton, he just doesn't look up to standard, even against a League Two Cheltenham side. Plenty of signs for optimism from what I saw tonight.

David Donnellan
14 Posted 05/10/2016 at 00:47:53
Andrew (#12), I was at the other end of the ground from that penalty incident & it didn't look a penalty incident from where I was. I haven't seen it back yet.
Mike Gaynes
15 Posted 05/10/2016 at 00:48:16
Thanks for the link, Andrew. Textbook tackle. Bizarre call by Lee Problem.

Jay Wood
16 Posted 05/10/2016 at 01:48:43
Wow! That is a GREAT tackle by Sambou.

How the hell can the ref give a penalty for that?

Mick Davies
17 Posted 05/10/2016 at 04:51:16
Probert!! Even though the clown's been demoted, he's still giving us grief. A true ego tripper/failed footballer if I ever saw one...
Tony Draper
18 Posted 05/10/2016 at 06:46:47
Just seen potted highlights on SSN, Bassala Sambou cleanly & clearly played the ball. Not only did he play the ball but his contact changed the course by 90 degrees! (So not a mere glance of a touch).

Oh, and some brief time afterwards, the Cheltenham player was shot by an unseen sniper, causing him to fall (incorporating hair-stretch).

Liam Reilly
19 Posted 05/10/2016 at 07:34:56
The ref should be embarrassed by that decision. I wonder what the odds where on Cheltenham to score?
Dave Abrahams
20 Posted 05/10/2016 at 11:26:07
David (#13) thanks for your report, how did Beni Baningime play? He was playing in midfield.

He's still eligible for the youth team this season so this game was a promotion for him.

David Donnellan
21 Posted 05/10/2016 at 11:43:42
Dave (#20), first time I had seen him, he was playing in the centre of midfield in what looked like a holding role & yes he caught my eye as well. He looked comfortable whenever he was on the ball & broke play up quite often.

Dare I say it – he played a little similarly to Idrissa Gueye, although he didn't seem to get forward as much. Like Joe Williams, he was heavily involved in the game.

It's a shame these lads didn't deserve to be on the losing side last night. The whole team played with so much confidence, it was a joy to watch & well worth the fiver admission.

Dave Abrahams
22 Posted 05/10/2016 at 12:03:01
David (#21) thanks for your reply. Glad you enjoyed the game, pity about the result.
Michael Kenrick
23 Posted 05/10/2016 at 15:55:04
Does anyone know if the live stream of this game (https://vimeo.com/185503069) gets archived anywhere?

Seems it might be on fubo.tv – has anyone shelled out for membership of that site?
Paul Turner
24 Posted 05/10/2016 at 19:25:52
I managed to miss our goal due to the queue at the turnstile... I thought Walsh was terrific, Niasse not up to Premier League standard (sadly for him), Robinson and Foulds also impressed.

I was in the paddock in front of the main stand, so didn't have a clear view past the dugouts of the penalty incident, but chatting to local fans after the match, they didn't think it was a pen either!

A win against Blackpool shouldn't be beyond our lads, though... COYYBB!

David Hamilton
25 Posted 05/10/2016 at 23:33:48
Bizarre penalty decision. Classic case of taking the ball first.

Good link to goals video here:

http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/cheltenham-town-2-Everton-1-video-highlights-and-pictures-from-the-checkatrade-trophy/story-29780891-detail/story.html

Michael Kenrick
26 Posted 15/10/2016 at 19:17:00
I found this image of the teamsheet, showing the player's squad numbers:



Note that Niasse was wearing #24. We had Sharni Tarashaj wearing #24 before he went off on a season-long loan at Eitracht Frankfurt.

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