Gutted… Just gutted

Everton 1 - 1 Fulham [6 - 7 on Penalties]

I guess it's hard not to get giddy after four successive wins without a goal conceded; or 10 wins in 14 games across all competitions. But that's what we've done this last week ahead of a home League Cup quarter-final against beatable opposition. With all that in mind, it was perhaps inevitable that the rug would be pulled from under us in cruel circumstances.

We arrived at the pub buoyant, enjoying a couple of beers and complimentary hot dogs. Conscious of the queues outside the Gwladys Street ahead of the Fourth Round tie against Burnley, we arrived in good time, and were part of a pumped atmosphere as Everton attempted to reach a semi-final for the first time since 2016.

There was much confusion about the starting line-up, with some of us (including myself, wrongly) feeling Jarrad Branthwaite would be operating as part of a back three with Dwight McNeil at left-wingback, and others feeling he was at left-back. I'm sure how Fulham lined up will have played into Sean Dyche's thinking on this decision, though Jarrad, despite his best efforts, never looked comfortable there.

Fulham began the game well albeit without really seizing the initiative, though Everton soon wrestled control of the game and for a period of at least 10 minutes were all over Fulham, though were unable to get the breakthrough. Dwight McNeil skied a powerful effort well over the crossbar when he might have done better, and Jarrad Branthwaite opted to head rather than volley with a half-chance but was unable to generate sufficient power on the ball to trouble Bernd Leno.

We continued to dominate proceedings, however, and then suddenly a couple of, from our position at least, debatable calls from Graham Scott swung momentum Fulham's way a little. Firstly, he called a handball against Nathan Patterson which looked to me as though he could do little about and was only adjudged to have handled because Willian stopped and appealed.

Following that, Michael Keane and Rodrigo Muniz both challenged aerially for a 50-50 ball, which resulted in Muniz sprawling on the floor and Michael Keane carded, much to the dismay of most of the Everton players. Again, and I haven't had the benefit of seeing a replay, it seemed a tough call to me. This was just outside the penalty area, would a penalty against Michael really have been called had it been 2 yards back? I doubt that.

This is relevant because, from the restart, once Willian had gone very close with the free kick, we quickly conceded. I thought it was a dreadful ball out to the left by Jordan, seeking out Jarrad Branthwaite when we were overloaded on the right instead. Jarrad could do little more than head the ball to a Fulham player and we were quickly on the back foot again. Antonee Robinson's centre flashed across and into the net.

We assumed it must have been an own-goal and then I saw Michael Keane grimace just in front of me. I've seen that grimace before and assumed it was him. So at the break, though not great, we were certainly a lot better than our visitors but found ourselves a goal behind despite them not registering a shot on target.

The second half was a lot more of the same in the most part – a brilliant effort from Everton, though not producing enough quality to unlock Fulham, who were defending their lead well and making life difficult for us throughout. It also felt like they were benefiting from the majority of the 50-50 calls from Graham Scott.

To the lads' credit, they stayed patient and kept on going. The crowd, desperate for Everton silverware, stuck with them and encouraged them all the way. We eventually got the reward our toils, if not our quality, deserved when substitute Beto gambled, stayed onside, and headed in to level the scores.

With 8 minutes remaining on the clock, plus what turned out to be 7 minutes of stoppage time, we dared to dream. On a few occasions, it felt as though we got a little bit too carried away, but I guess you have to be prepared to lose to win sometimes, and we so nearly did it in normal time when another substitute in Arnaut Djanjuma met a volley splendidly with the full meat of his boot but unfortunately it went narrowly wide of the post. 

So onto penalties it was then, and it felt it was going all too well when we got to take them in front of the Gwladys Street, and also go first. As all the first four lads that stepped up (Beto, Dwight, Arnaut and Michael) buried their penalties with aplomb, and Jordan had saved well from Bobby De Cordova-Reid, it was down to our fifth penalty taker to take us into the semi-final.

Rewind a little while earlier, and while James Garner was sprawling on the turf holding what looked like his ankle, Ste and I wondered who would be taking our penalties if he had to come off, because we had it as an absolute given that he, along with the other four actually, would be one of the penalty takers… 

So I was very surprised when I saw Amadou step up. I mean, does he seem to have that composure when given a chance to shoot? He is a tidy passer, but is he a good striker of the ball? And for heim to be our number five penalty taker – one who, if it gets that far in a shoot-out, pretty much has to score – should he be the man to need to score to put us into the semi-final?

I was surprised he walked forward, but even so could not believe what came next. What the heck was he doing? An abysmal penalty and he can have no excuse. If he runs up, hits it hard but Leno guesses well and saves, then fine. But to take a penalty like that, with the semi-final on the line, is just absurd and he can have no excuses.

James Tarkowski and James Garner did what they had to, before Idrissa Gueye hit the post with his effort. No complaints with Idrissa there – low down the order he stepped up and was a little unlucky. But what on earth was Amadou doing?

I'd have to see the penalties again on TV also, but should Jordan have done better too? He seemed more interested in his eccentrics than his shot-stopping. You could say he did his job in making a good save and giving us the platform to go and win; though conversely, he got close to a few of them penalties, the last one particularly felt like he might have kept out.

So the trophy wait goes on, ended cruelly once again, but credit to the players. Not high on quality, but with the mounting injuries, and relentless fixture schedule, they are giving all they can.

We'll just have to move on and get back at it in the league, and go again for a trophy at Selhurst Park in a few weeks. But isn't it just gutting?

My Man of the Match, if only for total desire and a complete unwillingness to accept defeat, is James Garner. I really wish he'd have taken that fifth penalty.

Keep your heads up high. UTFT.

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