Everton U18s advance in FA Youth Cup with fine win at Chelsea

Youth Cup match Chelsea u 18 v Everton u18 kicks off in 15 mins, it's on the Clubs YouTube Channel. Dobbin starts, but Price and Welch are missing presumably with the first team.

Ow what a first minute miss by Dobbin!

Yes Phill, Interview before the game Darren said the two lads were with the first team, a pity that our bad luck coupled with bad planning on loans leads to the lads missing the biggest game of their season.

Thanks for the heads up, Phill. Just turned on the computer and seen this. Strange kick-off time. Settling down to watch it now.

Unfortunate for Dobbin to be injured again. Bad luck strikes again

Sadly Dobbin off and Stanley Mills on: 0-0 after 27 mins.

The Scouse to English translation is far better than the game.

Well-deserved goal from McAllister!

Goal for McAllister: 1-0.

McAllister. 1-0.

Ball stolen by Cannon and well worked from there.

A decent first half from our kids, most I've seen of Mills, he's fitted in well with some nice touches at times. Very disciplined performance again from them.

I missed the opening 20 minutes, but we are well deserving of the 1-0 lead. It could have been more.

Yes, Chelsea are getting in and around the Everton penalty area with crosses and corners, but no real threat with the keeper Zan-Luk repeating his good form v City in the last round claiming everything.

Just seen the Dobbin miss in the opening 10 seconds. HOW???!!!

We are really causing Chelsea problems on the counter. Nicking the ball, getting it forward quickly with numbers in support, epitimized by the goal. Great steal by Canon from the Chelsea left back. Good run and pick out to Mills in the corner of the penalty, lovely angled ball into Whittaker denied in getting his shot off, but the ball falling to McAllister. WHAM! Clean first time finish from the edge of the box giving the keeper no chance.

Very impressive. Almost got a second before half time. Liking what I see.

Link

Live link!

First time Chelsea get in behind to the touchline and allowed to get a cross in right on the goal line. Incoming forward couldn't miss.

And sub Garcia has an immediate chance within 10 seconds of coming on to restore the lead but fires wide.

Continued to create ops this half, but final ball just off. Webster conducting things in midfield for Chelsea.

Could go either way this.

Oof! Denied a penalty. Garcia taken down just inside the box. Linesman and ref bottle it and give a free kick outside. Blasted into the wall. Grrr!

2-1 Everton!

What an error by the Chelsea goalkeeper! Unbelievable! 2-1 to Everton, final minute of regular time.

WHAT A GAFF!!!

88 minutes, Everton break. McAllister shots but not powerfully and somehow it squirms under the keeper. 2-1 Everton.

Stay strong lads.

Jay, I never watched any of the game, but I love that phrase “these boys dig deep” though mate, because if you want to be a success in football/sport/life then that phrase is absolutely massive!

They've beat the two favourites, and will all be buzzing on the coach going home now, and hopefully realising, how important it is to dig deep👍

Another great game from the goalkeeper, so positive in making his decisions and quick to put Everton on the attack, and Garcia, what movement, energy and putting teams under pressure, seems, because he is coming back from a bad injury, he isn't getting the full game yet, the team could be stronger when he can. As Jay says, if you don't shoot you can't score so well done McAllister for those two shots.

Is Stan Mills, the substitute today, the son of Danny Mills the formerLeeds and Man City full back?

Didn't manage to see this either.

I like the reports on the keeper. In recent years, we (not just Everton) have been producing a lot of good shot stoppers, but not necessarily ones that are fully rounded.

Command the box, control the defence and, where necessary, turn the game around quickly by putting their team on the front front.

Dave, yes. The commentary mentioned when Mills came on for the injured Dobbin that he is Danny Mills' son. I knew Danny's son was at the club so this is my first look at him.

His very first touch on coming on was forward looking. It was his cute angled pass into Whittaker from which the ball broke to McAllister who crisply finished, not too disimilar to Foden's winning goal for City last night. Edge of box. Crisp ground shot inside the post giving the BIG Chelsea keeper no chance of reaching it.

McAllister had already whistled one past the same post earlier, hit one right to left in the second then of course got the winner.

Players coming back from injury. Nailed on starters missing (Onyango injured, Reece Welch and Isaac Price possibly back with the 1st team for tomorrow v Spurs).

The boys are stepping up really nicely.

Was interested to see how we would fair in central midfield without Tyler Onyango, and (for me anyway) I thought Luke Butterfield was the game's stand-out player; passed cleanly and accurately through the lines, worked tirelessly, was positionally excellent, and broke up play on numerous occasions - including leading to the Everton winner. Lots of people have praised Isaac Price but having seen Price for the Under 18s and Under 23s I have never been anywhere near as impressed with him as I was with Butterfield today.

Special mention for Stanley Mills, who was also excellent - but the entire team showed huge discipline and appetite for the full 90 minutes, and the competition for starting spots in the quarter-final against WBA is going to be huge.

Jay, thanks for that.

I very rarely have the commentary switched on, I didn't today but like you I knew Danny's son was on Everton's books.

We got through to the next round but I couldn't understand good players like Welch and Price being left out of an important game like this, they have no chance of playing tomorrow so Carlo could have put two tailors dummies on the bench instead of them, no disrespect intended to the young lads saying that.

Jay,

Leban was very impressive not only with his catching but a couple of times when there was a ruck of players in the way making it difficult to catch he punched it well clear, taking the hit in the process. You don't often see that level of command in the box from a young goalkeeper, usually they have quick reflexes and are good shot stoppers. As ever a long way to go for him, it'll be interesting to see how he progresses next season.

I liked the look of Garcia in the short time he was on.

Jay, Dave,

It doesn't mention it specifically on the OS but the resemblance is obvious.

Link

Quite a good number of these boys seem to have genuine quality. And this group could include Kouyate, Price and Welch too. Is it a sign of better structure and coaching - or luck - or over optimism on my part?