Match by Match Reports

9th December 2022

FA Youth Cup 3rd Round

Won 3-0

Scorers - Francis Okoronkwo, Halid Djackpata, Owen Barker

 

Evertonfc Website

UNDER-18S SECURE DOMINANT CUP WIN

The Under-18s booked their place in the fourth-round of the FA Youth Cup with a 3-0 victory under the lights at Goodison Park on Friday night.  

Leighton Baines' side came into the clash full of confidence after thrashing Derby County 5-1 at Finch Farm last weekend.  

The young Blues picked up from where they left off in that one and were quick to stamp their authority on the visitors, powering into a 2-0 lead before half-time thanks to goals from Francis Okoronkwo and Halid Djackpata.  

Owen Barker grabbed Everton's third in the second half to seal the win and set up a clash away to either Watford or Lincoln, who face off on Friday 16 December, in the next round.  

Everton started brightly and did an excellent job of pinning the visitors inside their own half throughout the opening minutes of the contest.  

Okoronkwo went closest to breaking the deadlock seven minutes in, rising highest from a corner to direct his headed shot towards the goalkeeper's bottom corner, however, Reading's Thomas Norcott got down well to push it wide.  

Everton looked slick on the ball throughout the opening exchanges while also making it uncomfortable for the visitors without it.  

Good pressure from Jack Patterson 20 minutes in saw him win possession and go close, firing a vicious strike goalward that just whisked over the bar.  

Patterson was in the thick of the action again one minute later, this time being brought down for a free-kick just outside the penalty area.  

From the resulting free-kick, Barker whipped in an exquisite delivery towards the edge of the six-yard box, finding Okoronkwo who tapped home to put the Blues ahead.  

Everton continued to build momentum and were firmly in the groove when Djankpata doubled the hosts’ advantage five minutes later.  

Barker, who was a thorn in the side of Reading all night, was again provider. This time from a corner, he whipped in a fantastic cross that was met with a bullet of a header from Everton's captain.  

The Blues remained untroubled throughout the remainder of the half and headed into the break with a deserved lead.  

They started the second half in a similarly positive manner and nearly got a third seconds after the kick-off.   

Good combination play down the left eventually saw the ball switched over to the right where Roman Dixon broke free to drive a powerful strike on target which was parried away by the Reading goalkeeper.  

On the hour mark Okoronkwo nearly grabbed his second, he beat the offside trap to latch onto an excellent through ball but dragged his resulting effort across the goal and just wide of the post.  

The game was finally put to bed though with just over 20 minutes remaining after Okoronkwo produced a brilliant piece of hold-up play before releasing Barker who cut onto his left foot and then drilled the ball low and hard past Norcott. 

Barker made way soon after along with fellow goalscorer Djackpata as Callum Bates and Isaac Heath joined the action. 

Chances were few and far between in the closing stages where Martin Sherif was given a taste of the Goodison Park experience as he replaced Okoronkwo to help see out a dominant display from Baines’ team.  

9th January 2023

FA Youth Cup 4th Round

Lost 1-3

Scorer - Martin Sherif

 

Evertonfc Website

Everton Under-18s run in the FA Youth Cup came to an end on Monday night as they were beaten 3-1 on the road by Watford.   

Leighton Baines’ side booked their place in the fourth round with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Reading at Goodison Park last month.   

The young Blues gave a good account of themselves in Hertfordshire, with Martin Sherif scoring a lovely second-half goal to draw the game level after Watford took the lead before the break. 

However, George Abbott headed the hosts back in front minutes later before Adrian Blake benefited from a huge slice of luck to see his strike deflect into the bottom corner of Sebastian Jensen's net to seal the win and Everton’s exit from the competition.  

The contest started in a scrappy fashion, with both sides visibly feeling the nerves of the occasion at Vicarage Road.   

Slowly though, possession play started to tighten up, and Everton’s first sight of goal came as the game approached the 10th minute.   

Halid Djankpata dribbled the ball into the path of attacking teammate Sherif who was lurking on the edge of the box, he attempted a swift first-time effort that just whisked wide of Gabriel Ortelli’s post.   

Watford responded to that scare emphatically. With 12 minutes on the clock, Jack Grieves found himself free in the box to meet an Aaron Benn cross from the right, the youngster's stunning volley flew into the top corner of Jensen’s net, giving the Blues goalkeeper no chance.   

The hosts were noticeably buoyed by the strike and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the minutes following. They nearly doubled their advantage midway through the half when Andres Aguliar hit a curling free-kick that was parried away well by Jensen.   

Almost immediately after, Everton went up the other end and nearly drew level. Okoronkwo collected the ball out wide and inside the Blues’ half before breaking at speed up the pitch. He slid in Sherif to go one-against-one with Ortelli, but the Everton forward dragged his effort wide.   

This chance sparked Everton into life, with Roman Dixon looking particularly dangerous out on the right. Watford were guilty of giving the right-back too much space and time.   

He nearly made them pay with a stunning mazy run from the halfway line into the Watford box, dancing through several challenges along the way. His shot though was saved by Ortelli, and then Okoronkwo failed to keep control of his effort from the rebound as it sailed high over the bar.   

Everton continued to pile the pressure on in the closing stages of the half with Okoronkwo and Djankpata going closest.   

The latter had the best chance of the two to draw the game level just before half-time, meeting a corner from six yards out, however, the ball bounced off the wrong side of his head and over the bar.   

He was replaced at the break by Callum Bates and there was noticeably more intent behind Everton’s play in the second half when compared to the beginning of the first.  

Despite this though, chances were very much at a premium until the game entered the final 30 minutes when Everton finally drew level.  

Okoronkwo peeled off towards the back zone to meet a corner and head it back across the goal where Sherif spun marvellously on the spot to lash a powerful shot past Ortelli.  

It was a deserved equaliser for the Blues, however, just minutes after restoring parity, Watford’s Abbott rose highest from a wide free-kick swung into the box to head into the bottom corner and put the home side back in front.   

Watford grabbed a gut-wrenching third with 20 minutes to go as Blake struck what was initially a tame shot from distance, the effort cruelly bounced off the foot of Ishe Samuels-Smith, consequently sending Jensen in the wrong direction before trickling into the net.   

Jacob Beaumont-Clark joined the action in place of Barker soon after as Baines tried to orchestrate a response to his side’s bad luck, yet it was the home side who went closest to finding the game’s next goal.   

Blake looked certain to score a second when he struck a curling shot from distance, however, a fully-stretched Jensen managed to tip the strike onto the bar to keep the Blues in the game.   

Baines made a further change late on with Isaac Heath replacing Anthony Apter, yet despite their best efforts the Blues couldn’t find a route back into the game.   

Speaking to evertonfc.com post-game, Baines said: "It was something I touched on before the game and it took us twenty minutes or so to get going. 

"When we equalised we were the team doing the pressing, creating the chances and the game was there for us so it was disappointing to concede a second goal so early.

"Then we got done with a sucker punch for the third goal and gave ourselves too much to do. The players are hurting and they should be because this is a competition that we wanted to do well in but it’s a learning curve for them and hopefully, they’ll learn from tonight."

The young Blues return the action this Saturday (GMT 11:00am) when they travel to Kirkby to take on rivals Liverpool in the mini-derby.