FA Cup success is no stranger to the Ablett family who stood on the pitch to watch as Goodison Park erupted into a prolonged applause in memory of their beloved Gary, who sadly died this week. He was the only player to have won the famous trophy with both Everton and Liverpool and it was fitting therefore that the Blues turned out a performance in his honour and in his style, professional, no frills, no danger.
David Moyes handed starts to Victor Anichebe, and James McFadden against the Blue Square Premier League outfit who hadn’t won in the league since their progression from the second round. But they arrived on Merseyside with all the enthusiasm one can expect in this, the tournament the tournament of fairy tales.
That thought might have been with Scott Barrow when he made the first attempt on tomorrow’s back pages with a 35-yard freekick. It might have been as far wide as it was out, a sharp intake of breath from the away end though, was evidence of optimism.
Contrasting that sense of occasion among the travelling red army was an apprehension in Blue, but those nerves were swiftly allayed when Everton opened the scoring early on. John Heitinga rose at the back post to nod home Landon Donovan’s corner which was delivered with whip. Even the most faithful among the travelling 4,500 will have feared that their Lambs, behind against Premier League opposition after only five minutes, were now primed for the slaughter.
David Moyes has been burned by lower league opposition in this competition before, so that early strike will have been as welcome here as in any top-flight fixture. Less comforting was his team’s wastefulness in the following half hour when James McFadden squandered first a header, and then a low shot from inside the box, and Victor Anichebe failed to find the net after good work to turn his man.
Buoyed by their reprieves Tamworth began to show enterprise of their own toward the end of the first half, Kyle Patterson providing most of the Blue Square Premeir side’s bite. He embarked on a purposeful run prior to the break before dragging a shot wide of Tim Howard’s left hand post.
Everton’s expected dominance continued into the second half with the Phil Neville, the only one of a Blue back for being given a hard time. Targeted by the Tamworth fans in the first half at left back, he took over from Seamus Coleman at right back in the second for another 45 minutes of Staffordshire stick.
Clearly anxious to get the goal which would kill the tie, Moyes introduced Royston Drenthe after an hour, and it wasn’t long before his impact was telling. The Dutchman was hauled down in the area after a neat one-two with Magaye Gueye before Leighton Baines, Coleman’s substitute replacement, slotted home coolly.
To Tamworth’s credit their team, and fans, were counted until the very last, even when gulfs in fitness and quality made for one way traffic in the dying stages. And all inside Goodison were almost treated to a spectacular finale when Donovan struck a sweet left footed effort from 25 yards which crashed off the upright and into the Merseyside night sky.
With that banana skin firmly avoided Moyes now has an altogether different prospect to look forward to, he takes his side to White Hart Lane on Wednesday to play their game in hand, put back after last year’s August riots. With Tottenham in scintillating form of late, the Blues’ boss will be hoping that a five month postponement will be conducive to a quite night at the Lane.
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Everton (4-4-2): Howard, Coleman (Baines 58), Distin, Heitinga, Neville, Donovan, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov, Gueye, McFadden (Drenthe 66), Anichebe (Stracqualursi 73)
Subs: Hahnemann, Baines, Drenthe, Stracqualursi, Vellios, Duffy, McAleny
Tamworth(4-4-1-1): Collister, Tait, Habergram, Courtney, Francis, Thomas (Shariff 67), Patterson, Barrow, Christie, Kanyuka, McKoy
Subs: Hedge, Oji, St Aimie, Mcdonald, Sharriff, Taylor, Wallen
Goals: Heitinga 5, Baines (pen) 79
Ref: Rob Madley
Att: 27,564
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