Season › 2012-13 › News
Blues win first runout of preseason
Morecambe 1 - 4 Everton
Everton make a short trip up the Lancashire coast to Morecambe on Saturday, where they will play League Two side in the first pre-season game, a testimonial for Jim Bentley.Kick-off is at 2pm and the match is all-ticket, with Everton's allocation being sold out.
The Everton line-up will likely be short a few stars, with international players and others still on extended summer leave, despite the rest of the squad having gone through David Moyes's infamous pre-season bootcamp in Austria.
In addition to providing a runout for a portion of the Everton squad, it will also serve as a testimonial for lifelong Evertonian, Bentley who has been manager of The Shrimps since last year.
The quartet of young England stars, Ross Barkley, Luke Garbutt, Hallam Hope and John Lundstram would not play a part as they have been away in Estonia.
So barely half with Premier League experience, the remaining players in the Everton squad still absent... and the kick-off was delayed until 2:15pm because of traffic issues.
Match Summary
Jim Bentley shook hands with Everton skipper Leon Osman before he kicked off his final ever game in a Morecambe shirt.
After just 7 mins, Everton took the lead through a great 25-yard shot from Francisco Junior. Morecambe were furious though, as Vellios was in an offside position right in front of goalkeeper Roche but the linesman gave the goal.
Apostollos Vellios made it 2-0 for the visitors before the break. Wright gave the ball away on half-way line and Leon Osman broke to play in Vellios who slid the ball under Barry Roche in the Morecambe goal.
Rodwell made it 3-0 after an error by Haining, with a lovely cute finish lifting the ball over the keeper after being played in by Osman.
After half-time Conor McAleny and Tony Hibbert replaced Sam Kelly and Leon Osman. Morecambe made six changes to their midfield and forward line, with the back four remaining the same.
Roche had to be at his best to turn away Victor Anichibe's low free kick and then tip a header over the bar from the resulting corner.
After the hour mark, Tyias Browning came on for Sylvain Distin, with Hibbert moving to centre-half. Anichebe then makes it 4-0 to Everton with a fine low drive from outside the box that beats Roche low down to his right.
As the game wound down, Jim Bentley came on for the last few minutes in his final game in a Morecambe shirt. A lifelong Blue, he received a warm welcome.
Bentley was then announced as Man of the Match, let through on goal and his shot is saved, much to everyone's confusion... Then he scores! Everton 'keeper Taudal hadn't read the script properly, but eventually lets the main man have his moment.
Team Lineups:
Morecambe: Roche, Parrish, Threlfall, McGee, [Bentley]McCready, Haining, Fleming, Wright, Alessandra, Redshaw, Ellison
Everton: Taudal, Rodwell, Distin (62' Browning), Osman (46' Hibbert), Coleman, Vellios, Anichebe, Duffy, Kelly (46' McAleny), Bidwell. Subs: Neville, Forrester.
The attendance at Morecambe has been confirmed as 4,223 — with the travelling Toffees accounting for an impressive 2,060. Everton are promising to have highlights of the game available online after 9pm tonight — but only for those who have ordered the six-game pre-season package at EvertonTV.
Quotes or other material sourced from ToffeeWeb Match Report
Reader Comments (44)
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2 Posted 14/07/2012 at 10:57:50
3 Posted 14/07/2012 at 14:38:12
4 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:00:34
5 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:02:42
It's a testimonial match, lighten up.
6 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:20:16
7 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:24:51
How can anyone defend that? Moyes never gets it, the training part is good but the opposition is bad or even dreadful.
8 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:37:32
Everton can play the Toffeeweb Select XI pre-season for all it matters to me. The 1st game against ManU is the only one I care about. And let's get there without anyone injured in one of these games.
9 Posted 14/07/2012 at 15:54:20
These games are meaningless otherwise.
10 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:18:35
Our players seem to be more of the 'don't want to come last' than the 'want to be champions' mentality in that they only seem to start playing once we've had a few good thrashings and have remembered how tough it is to pick up points in the Prem.
Why not start the thrashings in pre-season and embarass some of these blokes in to action before the campaign begins. Even if you dont agree with my logic you have to admit we have a load of soft friendlies every year and it hasn't worked yet.
11 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:30:27
12 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:28:50
I still remember the tournament at Goodison when Shearer did his knee and Ajax where in town. But I believe you only get invited in these things if you have the credentials, ie, we had just won the FA Cup the season before that tournament.
I think the likes of Galatasaray, maybe Celtic and Malaga (all qualified for the Champions League) could prove testing opposition. I think we all need to calm down here, it's still very early!
13 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:21:06
14 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:42:02
Today's outing was a nice favour for Morecambe, and maybe it helps to get the wheels in motion again after the break. But I can't really see how it adds to the team-building ready to take on MU and the rest of the Prem.
Unless – and this is a very big unless – someone like Junior actually makes his mark and we get a real addition to the squad. We've had false dawns before – Baxter, maybe even Barkley, who knows? – but a boost to the skill level on our right side would be very welcome.
15 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:43:42
16 Posted 14/07/2012 at 16:59:32
17 Posted 14/07/2012 at 17:08:25
We play Dundee Utd who have qualified for the Europa League followed by Motherwell who have qualified for the Champions League (Qualifiers).
18 Posted 14/07/2012 at 18:08:36
BTW the kit doesn't look that bad when they are running around in it. The socks tho are still annoying in blue.
19 Posted 14/07/2012 at 18:20:46
20 Posted 14/07/2012 at 19:53:11
21 Posted 14/07/2012 at 21:18:02
22 Posted 14/07/2012 at 21:52:00
23 Posted 14/07/2012 at 22:06:44
24 Posted 14/07/2012 at 22:40:49
25 Posted 14/07/2012 at 23:09:40
27 Posted 14/07/2012 at 23:37:07
In defence of Hibbert, I believe the backpass was deliberate to let a lifelong Evertonian in his testimonial have his moment of glory before retirement. Maybe Hibbo is hoping someone will do the same for him!
28 Posted 14/07/2012 at 23:36:20
The game was tame and the goals were crappy. Pity the lad didn't get a bigger turnout for his testimonial.
29 Posted 15/07/2012 at 00:31:45
I love the fact that when watching in the first instance, you couldn't tell Hibbert passed the ball to their lad so he could score in his testimonial (imagine asking Distin to do it!).. and I also love the fact that the young goalie didn't know the script either and pulled off a cracking save at first!
30 Posted 15/07/2012 at 00:30:23
And the keeper, whose name I have yet to register, did a great job to try to stop the set piece from happening. Sign that man on!
32 Posted 15/07/2012 at 09:34:56
Looks like another typical Everton marketing and PR fuck-up to me.
On some stories (i.e. link from front page) it says highlights are free (then they don't work). Elsewhere it points you to make a purchase through the pre-season live games in order to get this (for which I think there's absolutely zero justification I'd add - this isn't a live game is it?)
Then, after I had paid for a live match as instructed (I'm going to be away when most are on and not able to watch so the full package doesn't make sense), I still get pushed back to the same page saying I need to make a purchase.
Does it mean you have to book the full 㾾.99 package just in order to see these highlights? If so that's:
a) a ludicrous and unfair (these are highlights after all not live match and it's never been mentioned as part of the package previously)
b) completely not what the instructions outline on the service itself and in effect I will have just been miss-sold
This to me is pretty symptomatic of the mismanagement that appears to be rife throughout the club when it comes to anything commercial. My son is barely 2 year's old but I believe would make a better stab at properly running and communicating this service.
33 Posted 15/07/2012 at 09:47:52
34 Posted 15/07/2012 at 10:55:44
35 Posted 15/07/2012 at 11:27:37
The frustrating thing is that if Everton had put this up for 99p I'd have happily paid.
Even if they'd used it as a way of gathering mails/interest to upsell later in the season this would have been smart.
To ask for £18.99 as part of a 'live TV' package to see highlights is just bloody stupid.
36 Posted 15/07/2012 at 11:54:59
37 Posted 15/07/2012 at 12:28:08
38 Posted 15/07/2012 at 12:31:15
39 Posted 15/07/2012 at 12:34:05
40 Posted 15/07/2012 at 15:26:38
41 Posted 15/07/2012 at 16:39:51
42 Posted 16/07/2012 at 04:42:14
43 Posted 16/07/2012 at 09:18:17
44 Posted 16/07/2012 at 09:35:31
Sam Kelly was an actor who played the part of a German in 'Allo, 'Allo. Christ knows what he's doing at Morecambe.
45 Posted 16/07/2012 at 15:32:21
46 Posted 16/07/2012 at 18:24:43
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1 Posted 14/07/2012 at 10:27:40