What The Papers Say - Jan 8

Sunday's Everton coverage

The views below are taken from the local and national newspapers and do not necessarily reflect those of Everton.

 

 

Luc Castaignos, the lanky Dutch striker currently at Inter Milan, is being offered to Premier League clubs.

Castaignos, 19, joined Inter from Feyenoord but has failed to make an impact in Serie A.

He was once the leading goalscorer in the Holland Under-17 team when his height and power made him a stand-out prospect. The likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton are now looking to take the youngster on loan for the rest of the season.

 

 

Forget the romance of the FA Cup, Everton were content to take a scruffy win and sneak into the fourth round.

The Premier League club, 96 places above Tamworth in the English football structure, managed to negotiate a bumpy ride.

Manager David Moyes said: “A good cup run would be important. But then we could be drawn against Manchester City in the next round...

“Tamworth did well and while it was 1-0 they were always in with a chance.

“I wanted to rest some players and try others in different positions. Without playing well, we had the right attitude and enough control to see it out.”

If Everton and their supporters thought John Heitinga’s early header would be the prelude to a romp, they were sorely mistaken.

They required a debatable penalty, converted by Leighton Baines, to ease the nerves of the closing stages.

Tamworth manager Marcus Law said: “The difference between us and a Premier League side was a set-piece and a dubious penalty. The ref got suckered into it.

“But it’s been a fantastic experience and I’m proud of the lads.”

For all their early momentum and the prompting of Landon Donovan, Moyes’ team were stifled and stretched by the unfazed Lambs through lengthy spells of the game.

The mid-table Blue Square Premier side, inspired by the resourceful Kyle Patterson (right), recovered to match their illustrious opponents end even suggest they were capable of tilting the balance of the contest.

Patterson, whose claim to fame is that he once played with Donovan and a certain

D Beckham at LA Galaxy, threatened to rewrite his CV. He repeatedly out-foxed Everton’s defence, much to the anxiety of keeper Tim Howard. To the relief of the American, Patterson’s finishing was not up to his approach play.

Goodison Park paid a warm tribute to the late Gary Ablett before taking the first, uneasy steps towards emulating their former player’s cup success.Donovan delivered a corner, Heitinga met it in the air and the deflection off Francino Francis confirmed its course to the net.

For a few minutes it seemed the Lambs were indeed being led to the slaughter. Victor Anichebe had a shot blocked and James McFadden went close.

But Tamworth, egged on by their 6,000 travelling fans, found some confidence.

Patterson broke through to pull an effort just wide then drove straight at Howard before Phil Neville was forced to head over his own goal.

Joe Collister, Tamworth’s former Tranmere goalkeeper, marked his return to Merseyside with an acrobatic save from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

But Everton relief came in when Royston Drenthe tumbled under the attention of Sam Habergham and referee Robert Madley pointed to the spot. Baines stepped forward to assure Everton’s passage.

There was still time for Donovan to be denied the goal his display deserved when he thundered a shot against the angle of bar and post.

 

NINETY-six places in the football pyramid separate Everton and Tamworth. Yesterday only two goals divided the uninspired aristocrats and the magnificent minnows.

That is because of the enduring magic of the FA Cup. That is because unheralded, unknown players who went toe-to-toe with Premier League millionaires weren’t found wanting.

That is because of raucous supporters who out-sang their opponents.

Languishing in the lower half of the Blue Square Premier League, Tamworth are nicknamed the Lambs. When Johnny Heitinga got Everton’s early goal, they looked Lambs to the slaughter.

But that was far from the case. Tamworth rallied and responded, troubling the 2009 finalists. They were the superior side for parts of the first half.

Having conceded five goals to lowly Alfreton on Boxing Day, they let in only two against the mighty Everton yesterday. And one of them was a contentious penalty, scored by Leighton Baines.

“The difference between a ­­ mid-table Conference team and a Premier League team was a ­ set-piece and a questionable penalty,” said Tamworth boss Marcus Law.

“What a fantastic experience for those boys. I’m proud of the players. They are a feisty group. I knew we would be able to compete and be able to deal with the occasion.”

They showed they could. It is 100 years since Everton’s last defeat to non-league opposition but Tamworth, in the biggest game in their history, could have earned a replay.

“We didn’t play well but our attitude was good,” said Everton boss David Moyes. “Tamworth did really well, kept at it and while it was 1-0, they were always in with a chance.”

And they were roared on by the travelling contingent from Staffordshire.

The Conference club have an average attendance of 1,084. They brought almost six times as many supporters to Merseyside. This was an ‘I was there’ occasion for their fans, their chance to try out chants they had only heard on television.

These particular Lambs certainly weren’t silent. They cheered on their team, taunted Phil Neville about not being the best footballer in his family and stayed behind to applaud the side on a lap of honour. To their credit, so did many Everton fans.

They were celebrating at the start, when Heitinga headed in Landon Donovan’s left-wing corner. Then James McFadden twice shot wide and goalkeeper Joe Collister blocked Victor Anichebe’s effort. But Collister was a spectator for long periods. That is a tribute to his back four. Not that Tamworth went on the defensive. They played with two strikers, one of whom starred.

A former Los Angeles Galaxy team-mate of David Beckham and Donovan, Kyle Patterson almost scored a goal from another world, sprinting from the half-way line, darting away from three defenders and defeating Tim Howard. Sadly for Tamworth, it went wide.

Not that it was his only trick. A well-struck long-range shot brought Howard into action.

They were still in the game until the closing stages. Law added: “You’re looking at the clock and thinking, ‘they’re not comfortable here, they’re not happy, they’re getting a bit tense, a bit frustrated’.”

But then Everton got a bit of official assistance. Sam Habergham was deemed to have fouled one substitute, Royston Drenthe, and another, Baines, scored from the spot.

“The ref got sucked into it,” Law said. The impressive Donovan, who had also come close with a half-volley, then hit the post. But a third goal would have been cruel on Tamworth. Two was harsh enough.

 

 

Leighton Baines is now Everton's top scorer this season - and that tells you everything you need to know about David Moyes' team.

There was never any danger of Everton slipping on a non-League banana skin despite the worthy efforts of Tamworth, from the Blue Square Bet Premier.

Once Jonny Heitinga flashed a fifth-minute header past Joe Collister, it was effectively game over despite the occasional burst from Kyle Patterson, whose claim to fame is that he once played for LA Galaxy alongside David Beckham.

Yet Goodison Park did not enjoy a feast of football, with Everton enjoying a release from the pressures of the Premier League.

Moyes' team are chronically short of firepower, and it was only when full-back Baines came on that a second goal looked likely.

He duly scored it from a 79th-minute penalty for his fourth goal of the season, more than any of Everton's midfielders or strikers.

The Everton boss will point to an injury list containing Jack Rodwell, Louis Saha, Leon Osman, Phil Jagielka and Tim Cahill, while Seamus Coleman limped off with a recurrence of an old thigh strain.

But that is not a viable excuse against a team roared on here by 6,000 travelling fans but 113th in the country's pecking order.

Moyes would love owner Bill Kenwright to buy him a top striker in this month's transfer window but that can only happen if Rodwell leaves first.

While Kenwright got his customary rough reception from some radical Everton fans, the wallet is empty.

'Our attitude was right,' said Moyes, who would love to emulate the club's run to the 2009 FA Cup final, when they were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea.

'At 1-0, the game was still in the balance, although there wasn't that much from Tamworth to trouble Tim Howard. I think for everyone at Everton a cup run is important, you just hope you don't get Manchester City away in the next round.'

Moyes praised Baines, who added late energy to the home side and dispatched his spot-kick with ease after fellow substitute Royston Drenthe had been blocked off by Sam Habergham.

'I wanted to give Leighton a rest but you could see when he came on what a difference one of the top English players made,' said Moyes.

Tamworth manager Marcus Law said: 'To concede so early was disappointing, particularly as we'd seen six DVDs of Everton and knew they are dangerous at set-pieces.

'But we have a feisty group here and I knew we'd be competitive. We gave a good account of ourselves.'

The one sour note from Law was in connection with Everton's second goal.

He felt Drenthe had made too much of the challenge by Habergham, a former England Under 17 defender.

 

Tamworth’s hopes of inflicting one of the FA Cup’s biggest shocks were ended by a lacklustre Everton performance at Goodison Park.

The non-league Staffordshire club made their illustrious opponents sweat for their 2-0 victory, recovering from the concession of an early Johnny Heitinga goal to keep the tie alive deep into the second half.

Leighton Baines’ 78th minute penalty ensured the Conference side’s replay hopes belatedly succumbed.

After fighting so diligently and for so long, manager Marcus Law left Merseyside with pride intact and a reputation enhanced.

Before kick-off there was a moving tribute to former Everton defender Gary Ablett, as his family and former team-mates joined in a minute’s applause.

The Goodison faithful hoped the performance would be a fitting memorial and they started well.

Heitinga headed Everton ahead after five minutes, converting from the excellent Landon Donovan’s left wing corner.

Expectations this would lead to a comfortable victory were premature as Tamworth enjoyed themselves and the hosts anxieties grew.

The 4,500 visiting fans were loving it, cheering each pass, shot and tackle like a winning goal.

They also relished every misplaced pass from an Everton player, with Phil Neville given a particularly rough time by the visitors. His amusing main offence, according to the away chants, appeared to be not being his brother, Gary.

Although Moyes was without Jack Rodwell, Phil Jagielka and Leon Osman, his side still possessed enough quality to make the gulf in class seem more apparent.

Too many Everton players were stuck in first gear. There was a slight improvement in tempo in the second half, but Tamworth keeper Joe Colister was not unduly troubled.

Inevitably, creating opportunities was Tamworth’s problem and for all their endeavour, Tim Howard was a virtual spectator.

David Beckham’s former LA Galaxy team-mate Kyle Patterson came closest to equalising. He was inches away on 30 minutes, when his run and shot from the edge of the box had Howard beaten. But it was a rare attack.

That ensured the early strike was always going to be enough, although it needed the introduction of substitutes Baines and Roysten Drenthe to put the tie beyond doubt.

Drenthe was tripped in the box by left back Sam Habergam, and Baines made no mistake from the spot.

For those making the journey from the Midlands, mixing it with the Premier League side was an afternoon to remember.

For Moyes and the Evertonians, regardless of progress into Round Four, it was utterly forgettable.

 

 

As Tamworth's players and staff basked in the applause of their massed support in the Bullens Road Stand, David Moyes waited five minutes on the opposite side of the pitch to shake hands with each and every one when they finally headed down the tunnel. It was a sporting gesture that told of a gruelling cup-tie.

The football pyramid divides Everton and the Blue Square Bet Premier division team by 96 places, but it required a fortuitous set-piece goal and dubious penalty decision to separate them in the FA Cup.

Pride in defeat is the cliche for this stage of the season, but it was nevertheless applicable to Marcus Law and his team. "You could see in the substitutions I was making that I felt we could get something in the end," the Tamworth manager said. "I was looking at the clock and thinking 'Everton are not happy here. They are getting tense and frustrated'. We have a feisty group, they are mentally strong, and I knew we could deal with the occasion and come here and compete."

Only when Leighton Baines converted a controversial penalty, 11 minutes from time, could Everton breathe easily, which, for a Premier League team who had taken the lead in the fifth minute, underlined the test put before them by the non-leaguers.

Forty coaches lined the road alongside Stanley Park as more than 6,000 Tamworth fans descended on Merseyside for the biggest game in the club's 79-year history. They provided the noise and colour at an otherwise subdued Goodison Park and clearly sensed that the Premier League team, with everything to lose and little in attack, were ripe for the shock. And then they fell behind. So much for romance.

After a warm tribute to the late Everton and Liverpool defender Gary Ablett, with his wife and children stood on the side of the pitch, John Heitinga inflicted a terrible start on Tamworth when he converted Landon Donovan's corner to the far post with an awkward header that came first off his shoulder and then struck the Tamworth defender Francino Francis en route to goal.

The threat of a giant-killing had diminished, yet Goodison remained in an anxious state until late. Law said: "We were in with a chance for a long time and an element of me is very disappointed because we had identified set pieces as an area where Everton are strong and had worked on them."

Everton did not ease off after Heitinga's first goal of the season. Far from it. Phil Neville and Magaye Gueye combined to create a close-range shot for Victor Anichebe that goalkeeper Joe Collister saved with his legs, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov volleyed over from close range and James McFadden, making his first start since rejoining the club after his release by Birmingham City, twice went close.

With Anichebe more productive as a centre-forward than when played out wide, and Donovan probing, Everton appeared on course to handle the gulf between the clubs comfortably. Tamworth, however, grew in confidence the longer the half progressed and thoughts of an Everton procession were gone by the interval.

"We had the chances to put it to bed at 1-0, but didn't and that kept it alive," Moyes said. "It was a struggle."

Kyle Patterson, a former team-mate of Donovan and David Beckham at LA Galaxy, shot a yard wide of Tim Howard's goal after a good run from deep inside the Everton half and tested the goalkeeper again seconds later, when space opened up outside the area.

In the second half, and with the Tamworth defence holding firm, substitute Keiron St Aimee volleyed just over from inside the Everton box.

Tamworth would have been forgiven for tiring as the game wore on, but, if they did, it did not show. The visitors' goalkeeper was required to make only one save, a fine effort from Russian international Bilyaletdinov, until Everton settled the tie courtesy of a highly dubious penalty.

Royston Drenthe, who could not have imagined facing non-league opposition in England when the Dutchman signed for Real Madrid in 2007, played a one-two with Gueye on the edge of the penalty area and, once inside, collapsed in a heap under the slightest touch from the midfielder Sam Habergham. Baines stepped up and sent Collister the wrong way from the spot to shatter bold Tamworth's hopes of a claiming a prized scalp.

"It was an easy penalty to give," Law said. "Their player got in close and our man was the wrong side of the ball, but the referee was sucked into it." In truth, Tamworth had little to lament.