FA YOUTH CUP, 1999-2000 

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Everton's Youth Team was previously one of the highest rated in the country.  But the incomprehensible failure of the club to invest at the Under-17 level resulted in a dismal campaign this season.

  [ Youth Cup, 2000-01 ] »

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Everton's recent Youth squads have rated among the best the club has had:
 

• In the 1997-98 season, with the help of U-18 star, Danny Cadamarteri and Irish International, Richard Dunne, the youngsters lifted the relegation gloom of Goodison for an evening by holding off the strong challenge of Blackburn Rovers in the Final to lift the coveted trophy.

• Last season, they played brilliantly to reach the semi-final but just couldn't make the grade against eventual winners, West Ham United, despite being the only team to defeat them.

• But this season, it all ended ignominiously at Goodison Park, reflecting just one own-goal and one penalty as their sum scoring effort....

It is hard not to make a strong connection between Everton's abject failure at the Youth level this season, and the earlier decision not to field an Under-17 squad in the national FA Youth Premier Academy league.  A shortage of money is one thing, but how much would it really have cost to support that effort?  

Everton are clearly already paying a long-term price for such abysmal short-term thinking.

Day   Date  Rnd Opponents                   KO/Res  Scorers                    

Wed  Dec  1  3  (a) Norwich City            W 1-0   Merrick (og)
Wed  Jan 19  4  (h) Brighton & Hove Albion  W 1-0   Clarke (pen)
Wed  Feb  2  5  (h) Crewe Alexandra         L 0-1

Chadwick had our first chance after 12 mins, a header that went straight into the keepers' arms. Norwich did not get into the last 3rd of the pitch until the 18th min, when Everton's 15-year-old keeper (who was making his debut) had his first touch of the game.

Just after the half hour mark we had our second chance of the game; again it fell to Chadwick, this time from a corner to the back post but, on the half volley, he put the ball well over the bar.

The only other chance in the first 45 mins fell to David Eaton, who had a shot 18 yards out, but the Norwich keeper had it well covered as it flew past the post.

Half-time: Norwich 0 - 0 Everton

The crowd of 391 had to endure another 45 mins. We all thought it was going to extra time/penalties, but on 71 mins Eaton fired over a cross at pace, the Norwich defender tried to clear the ball, put it in the back of his own net.

Everton only had a couple of chances, Chadwick had a shot go past the post, Valentine having been put though by Curran volleyed the ball high. I think that the boys had an off day. Put it down to nerves.

We now go into the hat for the next round, lets hope for a home tie. PLEASE!!!

Steve Milne On a foggy night at Goodison Park (at one point we all thought that the game may be abandoned), the fog was so bad that you couldn't see the other side of the ground.

To the game: Colin Harvey as usual, played a 4-4-2 formation, with Chadwick and Eaton up front. Brighton's defence obviously came to Goodison Park with the intention of a return leg as the main objective of their game. This however, was not to be, as Chadwick was brought down, for the England U-17 Captain Peter Clarke to score the only goal of the night.

To say it was an uneventful game is an understatement. The Blues only created a couple of chances. Valentine had half a chance as did Curran and, bar the penalty, that was the only action we saw in the first 45 mins.

Second half:

The fog lifted and we could actually see what was going on. After 20 mins of the second half, we were soon praying for the fog to return!!! Kearney had a couple of chances – a shot from 20 yds out, and another from 25, which the keeper failed to hold on to initially, but after a quick crawl, he dragged the ball away from the goal. Chadwick, who wore the number 9 shirt, in the mould of so many former greats, had two half chances in the second half and both were wasted.

The plus factor of the night was that most of the Everton side had never played on the hallowed turf. They will get their second chance in 14 days time when this time, the visitors will be Crewe, who I am sure will give them a run for their money, as they always produce top class young sides.

It was Crewe who did the early pressing and only a last ditch tackle by Blues defender Michael Price denied Carl Frost a 5th minute shot on goal. At the other end, Everton striker Damien Curran was off target with a header and so was midfielder Tom Kearney with an ambitious effort from distance.

Mid-way through the first half the visitors suffered a cruel double blow. First, left back Alex Morris was stretchered off following a late challenge by John Lester and then his replacement Craig Swiggs lasted no more than 60 seconds before he, too, was carried off after a challenge by Tom Kearney.

To their credit though, Crewe were untroubled by the double switch and they took the lead in the 32nd minute when Dean Ashton headed home from close range.

The closest Everton came to a goal in the first period was in added time (of which there was seven minutes) when Nick Chadwick's clever chip just cleared the crossbar. Crewe should have doubled their advantage on 57 minutes but, after a nice move, David Vaughan's half volley flashed across the face of the goal and wide of the post.

Everton, semi-finalists last year and winners in 1998, were battling hard enough but in truth it was the visitors who always looked more likely to breakthrough again. Price was forced to clear off the Blues goal-line on 66 minutes and after a super dribble Crewe's Dean Ashton forced Graeme Black into a save at his near post six minutes later.

So it's disappointment for Colin Harvey's men and it's Crewe that go through to a home quarter-final tie with Southampton.

Player       Pld (Sub)   Goals         Player       Pld (Sub)   Goals 
Black         3                        Penman        2
Hogg          2                        Kearney       3
Pilkington    2                        Chadwick      3
O'Hanlon      3                        Eaton         3
Clarke        3            1           Curran        3
Valentine     3                        Beck          -   (3)
Price         2                        Crowder       -   (1)
Lester        1   (1)                  Schumacher    -   (1)