Spirited comeback does in Bolton

Michael Kenrick , 30 October, 25comments | Jump to most recent

Everton U-21s 5 - 2 Bolton Wanderers U-21s

Everton's Under-21 side continued their winning ways coming from behind in an action-packed 5-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers. Magaye Gueye had given the Blues a 15th-minute lead when he clipped past Wanderers stopper Sam Lych, with Francisco Junior instrumental in the goal. The midfielder dropped a shoulder to trick two opposition players, turned into the space and threaded a perfectly-weighted through pass for Gueye to finish.

Minutes earlier, Matthew Kennedy forced the first real save of the match when his fierce drive from distance had Lych at full stretch.

But despite that positive start, the hosts were rattled just five minutes later when Mateusz Taudul was judged to have felled Samni Odelusi in the box. Michael O'Halloran stepped up to finish from the spot, but there was more to come.

On the half-hour mark, Odelusi found space to turn and shoot in one movement to put the visitors 2-1 up. The Blues hadn't done much wrong up until this point, with a few scrambles in the box the only scares amid fluid possession.

And in the second half, that control was intensified and put to devastating effect. Conor McAleny and Conor Grant both came on at the interval in place of Anton Forrester and Sam Kelly - and it was the duo's running that forced Bolton to be hurried as the rain continued to fall.

The substitutions also saw Gueye switch to a central role and the Olympian formed a formidabble partnership with Junior. Indeed, Everton were level just eight minutes into the second period. A decent spell resulted in a corner and Kennedy's floated ball was met with power by the forehead of Matthew Pennington.

On 63 minutes, Kennedy grabbed his first goal in Blue. With Gueye's free-kick blocked, the Scotland Under-19 international drilled the loose ball low through a sea of bodies and into the bottom-right corner.

That put the Blues 3-2 up and from then on, there was no looking back. With Taudul only provided any tests from distance, the Blues focused on things at the other end of the park, with McAleny next on the scoresheet.

The forward, recently returned from injury, showed no signs of rust as he worked a marvellous solo goal. Twisting and turning, he beat his man at the byline and cut inside to deliver a curling effort into the top corner.

And with 13 minutes to go Shane Duffy grabbed his third goal in as many games by rising highest to meet another Kennedy corner.

Quotes or other material sourced from EvertonFC.com

Reader Comments (25)

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Martin Mason
1 Posted 01/10/2012 at 06:45:22

Great to see the improved performances.

Ajay Gopal
2 Posted 01/10/2012 at 06:54:26

Come on, your U-21s! Good to hear that McAleny is back, and new addition Kennedy had a good game. Junior and Gueye also seem to have shaken off the effects of the dreadful game they had against Leeds. Duffy also banging in the goals (although goals also seem to be flowing in at the other end!).

WT Looi
3 Posted 01/10/2012 at 08:19:13

Kennedy certainly looks a useful player; good delivery, great ball sense - his carefully side-footed goal reminiscent of Bergkamp - and the ability to beat his man. I'd like to see him up against better opposition. The match highlights are up: http://www.evertonfc.com/evertontv/embedplayer/7804#ooid=lhNTUyNjr2an6oiU8ERiaW1qMw3usf_s

Sam Hoare
4 Posted 01/10/2012 at 09:04:11

Let's hope these lads kick on as chances are a few of them will have to step in when injuries take their toll. Good to see mcaleny back and sounds like Kennedy has fitted on well.

Ironically it's at the back where they have looked a little weak and been shipping goals not unlike the first team.

Sam Hoare
5 Posted 01/10/2012 at 09:07:23

ps: Vellios seems to be quiet for reserves this season.

Kev Johnson
6 Posted 01/10/2012 at 09:19:51

Shane Duffy - goal machine. Is he the new Mick Lyons?

There was a time in the 1970s when Plan B involved putting ML up front to throw his weight around. Respect to the lad, though. A true blue - and that diving header in a crowded penalty box against Leeds will live long in the memory!

Just watched the highlights. That McAleny goal was fantastic. Nice one, Conor.

Phil Roberts
7 Posted 01/10/2012 at 10:30:46

Plan B! We were that bad it was sometime plan A. I am still haunted by the memories of playing City with Mick and Bernie Wright up front. At least their centre halves knew they had been in a game but it was ugly (and a defeat)

Kev Johnson
8 Posted 01/10/2012 at 10:33:25

Ah, Bernie Wright. A bizarre signing by Catterick - just a year after we'd won the league. In 1971 we also sold Alan Ball... which begs the question: had Catterick gone mental?

Nowadays, the world and his wife are turning up at their GP's, saying "I feel a bit mental - got any drugs?" Then it was a bit more hush-hush. Maybe if Prozac had been around then we'd have come back to win the league again in 1972?

This one's got legs. I think I might write a book called 'Goal-crazy: Psychopharmacology and Football'

Derek Thomas
9 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:02:38

Bernie was big, young and cheap, he had a good game against us in the cup for Wallsall, Harry took a punt. Bernie himself said it all went to his head, an early Royston Drenthe but without the poise.

Kev Johnson
10 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:10:04

Royston Drenthe without the skill, more like! I heard Harry bought Bernie Wright at a cattle market - on the "Big Lumbering Ox" stall.

In comparison, Anichebe is a ball-juggling artist and entertainer, a latter-day Duncan McKenzie.

Alex Robinson
11 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:30:05

Duffy's the new Lescott I reckon! :P

Alex Robinson
12 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:32:16

Kev Johnson - as someone who has a PhD in pharmacology, I can definitely see where you're coming from. If ya need any help writing that book, give me a holler :)

Peter Barry
13 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:42:20

Stop all this Drenthe talk, guys — you will only get Jimmy Sorheim all excited.

Eugene Ruane
14 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:47:56

Kev Johnson (251) - you ask..

"Ah, Bernie Wright. A bizarre signing by Catterick - just a year after we'd won the league. In 1971 we also sold Alan Ball... which begs the question: had Catterick gone mental?"

The question never occurred to me before, but seeing it asked like that, I'd have to say, there's a good chance the answer is yes, he HAD.

(one question that DID occur to me, a couple of weeks after we signed Bernie Wright was: Has Catterick gone blind?)

Chris Thornton
15 Posted 01/10/2012 at 12:01:07

As I remember it Catterick was in hospital when we signed Bernie Wright and it was a signing made by the board after he scored against us for Walsall in a 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Goodison. The Everton sides of 1972-4 were really dire, the worst I've ever seen.

Kev Johnson
16 Posted 01/10/2012 at 11:56:20

He certainly had an oddly agricultural look to him, Eugene.

It's was one of the most crucial periods in the club's history, that – what's called in ToffeeWeb's 'Everton History' section the "impossibly steep" slide from being League Champions in 1970 to Nothing Special in 1972. I was only nine/ten when we won the league, but I was footy mad, so I remember it – and the following season – very well. Failing to beat Panathanaikos over two legs in the European Cup quarter finals and then losing the FA Cup semi to LFC after going ahead on 2 minutes. It still hurts!

Eugene Ruane
17 Posted 01/10/2012 at 12:14:28

Guessing we are about the same age Kev (I was born '59) so my memory is about the same as yours re that side and 'that week'.

I remember there was a pic of Wright printed in the programme.

He was standing outside the ground in the St End.

He had a big mad sheepie on, jeans rolled up and 'bovver' boots.

He looked like a grown up Joe Hawkins (reference for the over 50s there).

Martin Mason
18 Posted 01/10/2012 at 12:26:07

From what I remember he was fired by the club after chasing Catterick out of the training ground after a bust up. After the holy trinity and school of science of 1970, 1972 saw us in the shit. Sliding down the league, losing to Panathanaikos, defeat in the Old Trafford Semi and then the selling of Ball, Whittle, Johnson were tragedies.

Kev Johnson
19 Posted 01/10/2012 at 12:30:15

The Wiki entry for him - hardly 100% reliable, I know - say he "punched coach Stewart Imlach after he had overlooked Wright for a first team spot".

"You're not in the team." "Biff! Bang!" I dunno - seems harsh. I can't imagine Big VIc thumping Steve Round in similar circumstances, but I guess you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. Vic did have a run-in with Moyes a few years back, didn't he?

Dave Bickley
20 Posted 01/10/2012 at 14:27:20

Ah, Bernie Wright.... The story that went around us Midland toffees was that a RS scout and an EFC scout were at a Walsall match sitting next to each other, and when asked by our scout who they were looking at the RS scout pointed to the infamous Bernie when it was the left back they were after. It was then rumoured that Bernie was our player within 24 hours.

John Otway
21 Posted 01/10/2012 at 14:51:54

Ah Bernie Wright....Affectionally known as Bernie the Dolt. If you're not old enough to remember The Golden Shot, that's just gone straight over your head! Ask yer old man!

Brian Garside
22 Posted 01/10/2012 at 19:44:09

John. We more mature types know what you mean, but to the younger readers it was Bernie the Bolt.
Feel old. Who was offering medication?

Michael Rawlins
23 Posted 01/10/2012 at 20:00:17

I played against him in his later years. He was playing for Gloucester City in the Southern League in the late 80s. In his own way, he acclaimed a certain status for the stories he got involved in at Everton. When he played for Walsall, he was a bit of a hero!!!!

Andy Crooks
24 Posted 02/10/2012 at 00:21:39

It seems to me that Duffy isn't too far off the first team. I think that only injury will give him a chance but if he gets's it he'll take it.

Eugene, Joe Hawkins? You sent me on a hell of a trip down memory lane. I think the guy who wrote those books was from Derry (it might be a dream). Also, the last book ,if I recall, was utterly bizarre.

Time to confess; I nicked one of those books along with "Juggernaut" (which was made into a really pure seventies shite film) from a bookshop that still exists. Do you think it's not about time that this genre was looked at again and given credit for getting some of us to read? No, neither do I.

Kev Johnson
25 Posted 02/10/2012 at 00:35:25

Andy - I thought you were going to say "Do you think it's not about time I went into the shop, owned up and belatedly paid for the book"! How naive I am. (I went through a minor book-stealing phase myself, I must admit. Young people, eh?)

Duffy might get a game in our FA Cup run. So, just the one game then.

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