Everton 2-0 Peterborough: FA Cup Match Report & Instant Reaction | Blues progress after Dyche sacked

Yesterday at 05:22 PM

Job done and off to the 4th Round after professional victory

Everton have spoken about some stability after the Friedkin takeover which has been appreciated by Evertonians everywhere. Incredibly, four hours before the match was scheduled to kick off, Sean Dyche was sacked and the chaos appears to still be lingering! Leighton Baines was asked to lead the team from the dugout and he had Seamus Coleman at his side. The two Everton legends had more than 846 matches for the Blues.

In his pre-match comments, Baines said:

"The starting XI I found out today and that was picked beforehand. We have made small adjustments inside of that which we think will help. It is a bit different, but it's football. This is our job and the players know how to play football and I have been coaching for long enough. The message to the players will be, 'produce a bright, dynamic performance that is appropriate for Goodison Park'."

As for the match, this was just the second competitive meeting between Everton and Peterborough United, with the Toffees winning 2-1 during a League Cup second round clash in September 2006. In that match, Everton led at London Road after James Beattie's 24th-minute header was deflected into his own net by defender Jude Stirling. Peterborough did level through Trevor Benjamin and that's how it stayed until three minutes from time, when substitute Tim Cahill poked home to earn the Blues a place in the next round.

Team News

The team lined up in a 3-4-3 with O'Brien and Keane brought in alongside Branthwaite. Harrison Armstrong kept his spot in the team and the other change was in goal with Joao Virginia getting a chance between the sticks.

It wasn't just Everton vs Peterborough, it was father vs son, Ashley Young vs Tyler Young - or that would be a first in FA Cup history if both men got off the bench.

Match Report

Everton, unsurprisingly, took the game to Peterborough in the early moments of the match. A high press was being requested by Baines as he directed from the sideline. It was also not surprising that Everton's early forays were falling apart in the final third. Both Beto and Ndiaye had shots go well over the net.

The first real quality saw Ndiaye thread a pass to Patterson who was taken down on the edge of the box which forced a free kick. The resulting shot from Mangala was shocking and was sliced sideways.

Peterborough took 17 minutes to get control of the ball in the Everton half but they were ineffective in forcing a chance. Gana had a shot that moved wildly in the air which caused the Bilokapic to scramble and palm the ball away. Moments later, Orel Mangala volleyed a shot from the top of the box which rattled the crossbar and brought Goodison to life.

The chance was then followed by a cross from Patterson which panicked the Peterborough backline and the cross deflected just wide of the post. The game settled back down as Everton continued to probe but it was Peterborough on a counter attack that needed a good block by Mykolenko to prevent the first shot. The resulting corner saw the ball get through the six yard box and it was only another block by Branthwaite that prevented a goal by Hayes.

Everton were squeezing the pitch and a lovely ball from Branthwaite needed more power from Beto's header to trouble the Peterborough goalkeeper. The ball was in the back of the net moments later when another scything pass from Armstrong allowed Beto to round the keeper and slot the ball in the back of the net. It was his 8th goal in royal blue.

As the final moments of the half arrived, Jay Jones stretched his legs for the first time and his shot was saved by Virginia. Referee Thomas Bramall had seen enough and blew the whistle before a corner was taken.

The second half kicked off and Peterborough had made their first change with Oscar Wallin replacing George Nevett. The atmosphere was subdued as the match resumed with Peterborough trying to assert themselves. Hayes put some pressure on Patterson which forced a corner but Virginia went up strong and caught the ball to settle nerves.

Another bombing run by Patterson and the cutback to Gueye deserved better as the 35 year old captain for the night hit the Upper Gwladys Street with his effort. Everton were controlling the play but were not getting any chances of note. Peterborough held the ball for a period of play and when the ball fell to Donnelly, he could not get the ball under control to get a shot.

Ferguson made another change when Kyprianou was withdrawn with DeHavilland coming on. Seconds later Beto passed the ball into Mykolenko but his touch was heavy and when Peterborough broke out, the Portuguese forward took a yellow card to stop the breakout.

Beto was then on the front foot causing havoc for the defenders around him. The resulting corner gave Mangala a shooting chance but his effort was deflected wide. The new coaches had seen enough and decided to take off Armstrong and Beto to be replaced by Harrison and Broja.

Everton were pressing for a second and a break in play saw Ashley Young prepare himself to join the fray. A corner from Harrison was delivered to Keane at the top of the box but the centre back could not get his shot on net. Young was brought on for Patterson so we just needed Tyler to come on to create history.

Young was immediately providing crosses from the right. Peterborough were struggling to get out. Donnelly was taken off with Odoh coming on. The young winger had already scored two goals in the FA Cup with goals in the last two rounds. Peterborough broke forward and the ball was delivered into the Everton box but no one was there to force a chance.

Broja broke forward and rounded the keeper but he was tackled and stayed down under the weight of the tackle. He was down for several minutes as Peterborough played on. The tackle looked harmless on the replay and it looked like he had rolled his ankle. The physios worked on him as he writhed in agony. Not a good sign and it forced Baines to get Lindstrom to warm up. Broja was stretchered off with oxygen being provided and he disappeared out of the Park End to the awaiting ambulance.

The break in play saw Lindstrom and Doucure enter the match to replace Mangala and Broja. As a result of the delay, ten minutes of added time was announced. Neither team looked like doing more but a free kick from Harrison saw Branthwaite hauled down in the box by Katongo to force the referee to point to the spot.

The crowd wanted Keane but Ndiaye coolly and calmly slotted the ball into the corner with the keeper diving the other way. After the cheering died down the whistle blew and the Goodison crowd broke into Spirit of the Blues. A win and progression into the next round.

Everton Man of the Match: Harrison Armstrong - The young midfielder was given the number 8 role behind the striker and his quality was shown throughout the match. His ability to see a pass was shown when he split the Peterborough defenders and provided the assist for Beto's winning goal.

Instant Reaction

This was always going to be a potential banana skin for Everton. Win and you should have, lose and you are useless. With Dyche being sacked, it was interesting to see how the Evertonians responded. Even when the Beto goal went in there was still some trepidation and that had to be attributed to the fans being shellshocked as a result of the firing. Thankfully, as the match progressed it was clear that Peterborough were not providing any real threat going forward and the Beto goal was enough to see the Blues through to the next round before Ndiaye settled the match in extra time.

Should Dyche have been sacked just four hours before a match, probably not. The loss of Graham Potter, who was hired by West Ham as Everton were trying to get him lined up, could have forced the sacking today but the news sent shockwaves in the buildup. Having Baines and Coleman on the sidelines was an excellent choice. Coleman provided the continuity in the dressing room where his leadership has always been seen. Baines has worked with the Everton youth setup and is building a strong following for his coaching ability. The change also unshackled the players who looked free to go forward.

Although the team was selected by Dyche according to Baines, there were a couple of things that signaled change. The most obvious was the move to have three at the back. With Branthwaite and O'Brien in support of Keane there was solidity and an aerial presence that was dominant. The change also allowed Patterson and, to a lesser extent, Mykolenko to get forward and attack the wide areas. The other big change was the dropping of Doucoure and a chance for Harrison Armstrong to show his quality which he did when he cut open the Peterborough defense to give Beto the opening goal. Armstrong must keep his place when Villa arrive at Goodison for the next Premier League match.

It was great to see Goodison sold out for a Thursday night match under the lights. A true testament to the support of our team. However, the decision to play the game on a school night was poor. To force the Peterborough fans to make the 163 mile journey to give TV the chance to make money was disrespectful to the fans. As much as I like being able to see the match on TV in Canada there must be a way to choose a match where travel is shorter.