Blues just about scrape through

, 28 August, 0comments | Jump to most recent

Everton 2 - 1 Stevenage

Everton squeezed through to the League Cup third round and a date with Fulham thanks to a goal by Marouane Fellaini deep into extra time that finally killed off battling Stevenage.

The League One side had gone ahead against the run of play when Freeman lashed home but debutant Gerard Deulofeu stroked home an equaliser on the stroke of half time.

The Blues became increasingly ragged as the game wore on and were forced into another unwanted thirty minutes where Fellaini came on as a substitute to decide the match with a close-range finish.

Roberto Martinez made eight changes to the team that started against West Brom at the weekend, handing starts to Robles, Hibbert, Heitinga, Deulofeu, Kone, Oviedo, Naismith and Stones but despite impressive first-half performances from Barkley and Deulofeu, the Blues couldn't make the breakthrough until the young Spaniard scored that fine individual goal to level things up going into half time.

The second half brought more frustration from the home faithful who still had the West Brom draw on their minds but with Everton seemingly incapable of scoring again and a dreaded shootout looming, Fellaini finally made one count and the Blues scraped through by the skin of their teeth chalking up a first victory for Roberto Martinez in charge of Everton.

Everton: Robles, Hibbert (66' Coleman), Heitinga, Jagielka (46' Distin) (c), Oviedo, Barkley (96' Fellaini), Osman, Stones; Kone, Deulofeu, Naismith.
Subs not Used: Howard, Baines, Mirallas, Jelavic.

Stevenage: Att: 22,870

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