One Step Closer To Wembley

Quite frankly I was dreading this game pre-kick off, so convinced was I that we were to going to fall victim to a giant-killing…and speaking of giants, I was absolutely certain we were crashing out when I saw Fellaini wasn’t involved in the game neither in the starting line-up on amongst the substitutes. Phil Neville replaced him in midfield and Mirallas came in for Naismith on the right hand side. Jose Baxter featured for Oldham Athletic and was afforded a generous applause from the home faithful. Despite scoring three goals against Liverpool and Everton in the FA Cup already this season, Matt Smith started on the bench for Oldham, Chris Iwelumo preferred in attack.

The game had that ‘cup game’ buzz about it as we approached kick off, Oldham Athletic bringing pretty much their whole town with them by the looks of things, practically filling their entire 6,000 allocation on what must have been a big night for the supporters. It helped their team begin the game at a good tempo as they looked to match Everton for energy from the start, though Everton soon got a grip of things and forced the game onto Oldham Athletic, the breakthrough arriving when Mirallas made the most of Oldham’s generous marking to prod home Gibson’s cross and put Everton 1-0 ahead.

The goal was much needed and Everton seemed to have a bit more of a spring in their step after this, though it wasn’t without a little bit of luck when Jose Baxter, on his return to Goodison Park, looked to have scored but saw his effort come back off the inside of the post and away. A let off for Everton and it would have just been typical to have been punished for another defensive mistake, this one from Jagielka. We then survived a handball appeal when the ball seemed to strike Gibson inside the penalty area though Michael Oliver waved it away.

Everton continued to probe, Before slotting home his penalty, Baines came close with a swirling drive which Bouzanis did well to tip round the post, though Baines soon had another opportunity from the penalty spot when Brown handled in the penalty box. Bouzanis will probably have felt he might have saved it having guessed the right way but he couldn’t keep it out and Everton went into half time with a comfortable two goal cushion.

Into the second half and it took Everton until the 66th minute to make this game what was seemingly ‘safe’, Osman nodding home his second in two games with Bouzanis wrong-footed by Jelavic running across the path of the ball and beating the unfortunate keeper. Osman’s 50th Everton goal.

You hoped Everton would now go on and score one or two more and really add some gloss to the scoreline but this wasn’t to be as Oldham nabbed one back almost straight away with no surprises who scored it or indeed how it was scored, Matt Smith rising highest in the box to head in a corner and give Oldham a lifeline. Just the arrival onto the field of Smith certainly unsettled the Everton players and unnerved the crowd and you had to wonder why Oldham didn’t start the game a bit more like this.

Regardless, Everton got a grip of the game again. Distin did a sterling job of nullifying Smith and Everton saw the game out comfortably enough, making a few substitutions at just about the right times and should have scored at least one more when Gibson fired way over with a presentable opportunity.

Overall it’s great to progress, particularly when I was fearing elimination and I feel a home game against Wigan on a Saturday afternoon with a vibrant crowd could be enough to spur Everton on to Wembley once again. Hopefully the win will be enough to see us kick on a bit now. If we can beat Reading on Saturday, we’ll gain ground on somebody, whether that be Tottenham, Arsenal or both as they play each other in the North London derby this weekend. Fourth place is probably out of reach but we might as well give it a good go now.

We could just end the week looking up, something which seemed unthinkable after the Norwich City game at the weekend… but my word, we really have to work on defending them set-pieces. Cheap goals has been our undoing all season… and you can’t go all the way in the FA Cup with that trait.

Howard: Not overly busy but did what he had to quite well. Claimed his fair share of crosses. 6
Baines: My man of the match. Scored one and was solid and consistent throughout. 8
Distin: Could easily have gotten man of the match also purely for his impressive handling of Matt Smith..the goal aside of course. 7
Jagielka: Did fine. Missed a great chance in the second half. 6
Coleman: Not great either defensively or in attack but stuck at it. 6
Neville: Had a very good game. I suppose these games suit Neville a bit better at the moment as he can live with the tempo a bit better than he can perhaps in the Premier League. 7
Gibson: A bit in and out of the game. Didn’t show that consistency throughout. Hopefully he can step it up a bit more on Saturday. 6
Pienaar: Lively first half though seemed to be playing within himself a bit in the second period. Also needs to improve for Saturday. 6
Mirallas: Started very well though a bit quieter in the second half. Still not quite there yet but showed flashes of brilliance, particularly in the fist half. Goal will do him good. 7
Osman: Got on the scoresheet and showed a few nice touches and bits of skill though gave the ball away a few times also. 6
Jelavic: Still toiling though without a goal. Confidence just isn’t there though he’s not shirking any responsibilities. Just needs that goal to come…hopefully this weekend. 6

Substitutes:

Naismith (for Mirallas): Not on long, difficult to judge.
Hitzlesperger (for Pienaar): Not on long, difficult to judge.

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