Superb Gomes free-kick wins drab cup tie

Everton 1 - 0 Crystal Palace

Goodison Park under the lights tonight as Everton and Crystal Palace face off again for a place in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

Having drawn the original tie at Selhurst Park 12 days ago, the Blues get the chance to despatch of the Eagles and earn a home tie against Luton Town on the weekend of 27 January, after they beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in their replay last night.

Seamus Coleman, Jordan Pickford and Abdoulaye Doucouré are rested, with Virginia, Patterson and Gomes starting. Idrissa Gana Gueye is away at the African Cup of Nations.

The visitors got the replay underway. and Everton eventually got forward with Gomes having a chance to shoot from some way out – straight at Johnstone. A Palace free-kick came to nothing.

Calvert-Lewin did well to contest for the ball and won a throw-in but Everton could not retain possession. Tarkowski was called for a foul on Schlupp down Everton's left. Next to be called for a foul was Calvert-Lewin.

Everton looked to build with some decent passing but Andre Gomes tried a too clever turn and lost the ball. Harrison and Calvert-Lewin connected on the right but could not get in on goal. 

Patterson found Calvert-Lewin with a ball over the top who rather mishit his shot at the Palace goal. Everton kept pressing after the corner but Palce are able to break and Lerma shoots high over Virginia's goal. 

Harrison did well to hook up with Gomes but the ball in to Calvert-Lewin didn't come off. At the other end, a poor ball from Gomes allowed Eze to threaten. Palace had some of the play now but Mitchell's shot was poor. 

Harrison darted into the area and appeared to have his heels clipped but the referee was having none of it and the VAR didn't seem to be too bothered.  

Edouard got past Garner and Eze fired in but Virginia produced a good save. Palace put together a better move and Schlupp lashed one just beyond goal as the visitors started to assert themselves.  

Harrison switched the play back but Palace were quick to reform their defensive shape with both sides continuing to stall eachother. But Palace broke again and Hughes shot at Virginia. Some slopiness in midfield almost cost the Blues as they struggled to string a few passes together. When they do get the ball Garner overhits his free-kick.

Gomes got free and Lerma launched himself to stop the Everton midfielder, giving Everton a dangerous free-kick.  Andre Gomes hit a superb curling strike past the wall in off the post to give Everton the lead. 

Palace came roaring back, Eze and Mitchell getting into the Everton area and Mitchell forcing a fine save from Virginia, Palace wasting the corner with a wild shot onto the roof of the Gwladys Street stand. 

Calvert-Lewin got the ball back from Gehuhi in the Palace area but could not produce a shot. A lot better piece of passing and movement threatened from Everton but broke down and they went in one goal to the good. 

James Garner restarted the game and Everton pushed up, thanks to a free-kick, curled in by Gomes, but Everton wasted it and Harrison saw yellow for kicking the ball away in frustration.

Garner went down grasping his thigh but got back up gingerly without treatment. Edouard pushed Branthwaite for a soft free-kick, taken by Gomes but it came to nothing. McNeil's nice ball forward was easily picked off.   

A wayward cross in from Cline almost caught out Virginia. Branthwaite needed to defend well to thwart Palace. Eze got into the area but was stalled.  Palace continued to push Everton back in search of the equalizer, testing Everton's alertness and desire. 

Harrison broke the press but Gomes couldn't benefit. Mykolenko defended another Eze incursion deftly. Calvert-Lewin chested down a long ball but McNeil's shot was wayward. At the other end, Lerma had a pretty good chance but his shooting was poor as well. 

Eze was thankfully withdrawn, much to the chagrin of the small cluster of traveling fans who chanted to Roy Hodgson: "You don't know what you're doing!" 

Everton seemed to benefit from the Palace subs, and had some better possession until Ahamada stole the ball off McNeil after a hospital pass from Mykolenko and Edouard drove in to test Virginia, who saved well. 

Gomes released Harrison down the right but he failed to play in Calvert-Lewin before the ball was stolen off him. Onana then played in  Calvert-Lewin but his shot screwed wide of the Palace goal. Dobbin then replaced Gomes. 

Everton put together a better attack through Onana, McNeil and Dobbin and won a couple of corners. And a chance came to Dobbin whose header was deflected for another corner. Branthwaite put a bit too much on his effort that went over the bar. 

Calvert-Lewin was booked for something after confronting Andersen and before he was replaced by Beto for the last 5 minutes of normal time.

Dobbin had a chance to run forward but he shot from a difficult angle and missed the target. 

As 6 minutes of added time were shown, Palace came closest to scoring, with a  cross to the back post, Schlupp has a free header but the Everton goalkeeper makes himself big to block the attempt which looked certain to be a goal. 

Then another Palace onslaught and Branthwaite has to intercept.  Dobbin broke but he was driven away from the goal despite a numerical advantage of Blue shirts. 

More nervous defending had to be endured as the minutes ticked away, Everton being really tested. McNeil was sand-bagged but Mateta was offside. 

Everton: Virginia [Y:87'], Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, Gomes (76' Dobbin), Harrison [Y:48'], McNeil, Calvert-Lewin [Y:85'] (86' Beto).

Subs not Used: Pickford, Lonergan, Keane, Danjuma, Chermiti, Godfrey, Hunt.

Crystal Palace: Johnst one, Clyne (64' Ahamada), Andersen [Y:85'], Guehi, Mitchell (64' Riedewald), Richards, Lerma [Y:40'] (71' Ozoh), Eze (64' Matheus Franca), Hughes, Schlupp, Edouard (71' Mateta).

Subs not Used: Tomkins, Ebiowei, Henderson, Adaramola.

Referee: Tony Harrington.

Attendance: 37,896

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