45 mins

• Collins was everywhere again. He ruled the pitch
• Tiler was better
• Ferguson unimpressive
• Madar tired in the second
• Grant not really fit
• Watson was solid
• O'Kane was not as good as Thomas
• Ball was again very good
• El Hamruun didn't impress at all

Again, a decent performance but still alot of work to do.  We don't have anyone who can win a match on his own.

But with Liege also needing penalties to overcome Espanyol, skipper Duncan Ferguson lifted the trophy courtesy of goals scored in open play. Against Liege, Thomas Myhre was given an early test from a Lukunku header after just four minutes.

But with John Collins always prompting in midfield Everton momentarily derailed the one-way traffic when the Scot's vision switched play brilliantly on 17 minutes and John Spencer flashed a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Smith sent on Tunisian triallist Yasser El Hamrum, who was left out of their World Cup squad because of a row with the manager, in place of Mickael Madar after 21 minutes and he slotted in on the left side of midfield. The hosts then tested Myhre again when he was almost caught out when a shot from Mornar took a deflection off Tony Grant and just looped over the crossbar midway through the half.

A sweeping move from penalty area to penalty area saw the lanky Lukunku drive a low shot into the side netting under attention from Dave Watson. It proved to be the final chance in normal time. Although Myhre made one save, Tony Grant, John Spencer and Don Hutchison all missed from the spot as Liege kept their cool.

In my memory, Everton have won just one in 25 years, at Wembley in 1988 during the Football League's Centenary celebrations. They maintained the trend.

With one end of the half rebuilt stadium an empty building site, and the other full of volatile home supporters, the referee chose the populated end to take the penalties into. Well, it was Liege's tournament after all.

Tony Grant struck Everton's first, and saw his shot saved. Nick Barmby overcame his last day of last season trauma and converted his, but when John Spencer fired well wide the Belgians were in command.

Myhre produced an astonishing one handed save to deny Remacle, then was desperately unlucky with Haeldermans' kick. He blocked it one-handed, but the ball bounced once, span up and rolled agonisingly over the line.

Michael Ball clipped in the coolest penalty of the lot, but when Don Hutchison tried to drive his effort down the centre of the goal the ball struck the 'keeper's feet and was saved.

Everton had lost a battle, but won a war.

The real campaign is edging ever closer, and the reassuring news is that Walter SmithÕs troops are beginning to look in better shape for when hostilities begin.

Español               0 - 2   Everton
                              Nando (og), Spencer
Standard Liège        0 - 0   Español
Standard Liège win 4-2 on penalties 
Standard Liège        0 - 0   Everton 
Standard Liège win 3-2 on penalties 

Club                P   W  D  L   PSO   F  A  GD  Pts
Everton             2   1  1  0   0-1   2  0   2    4
Standard Liège      2   0  2  0   2-0   0  0   0    4
Español             2   0  1  1   0-1   0  2  -2    1
_____________________________________________________
PSO = Penalty Shoot-Out: Extra point for each one won

*** Everton Win Le Tournoi on Goal Difference! ***