Fan Report: Everton 1-2 Birmingham City

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Fans Report Everton v Blues

Blues longest standing ‘bogey’ was finally laid as they deservedly dumped Merseyside’s Everton out of the FA Cup. It was also Blues first ever away win against the Toffees in the cup and the first victory there since 1957.The tie of the round was a match that our TV companies had decided we weren’t going to win.

Make no bones about it this was an excellent football match and Blues were full value for the win. Blues had returned from a week’s training in Malta with strikers Jerome and Phillips injured.  Blues put McFadden up with Chucho and Fahey came in on the left. Michel and trainee Jervis were on the bench.

Blues could not afford to start in their usual slow pace and they took the game by the scruff of the neck from the kick off. On 6 minutes an Everton free kick on the edge of the box was cleared and Chucho broke thirty yards from his own goal. He slipped a pass to Ferguson who picked out Fahey on the right. A good touch by the Irishmen allowed him to cross where Chucho, having run 70 yards was on the spot to head past Howard. Blues were well worth that lead and continued to control the game. Everton were faced with a wall of defenders when they tried to work the ball through the midfield while any high ball was not asking enough of Blues top class defence.

Arguably the goal of the season came on 40 minutes with another sweeping move from the edge of Blues box. This time Fahey broke and carried the ball 70 yards to the edge of Everton’s penalty area where he played the ball into Mcfadden. The Scot’s delightful back heel left Ferguson to the right of goal where he picked his spot with an exquisite left foot strike.

The half ended with the Blues fans dancing a jig while the home fans booed their team off the field.

Blues began the second half well on top and Chucho should have ended the contest when he broke clear, and with only Howard to beat, shot weekly. The desperate David Moyes replaced the over powered Bilyaletdinov with Osman and the sub was immediately into the action, picking up a booking and finding the net with a neat drive after good work on the left by Pienaar.

This lifted the crowd and Everton sent on former Birmingham Academy player James Vaughn and Michel Arteta who was brought to Britain by Alex Mcleish.  Everton also threw the giant Fellaini up front which certainly asked questions of the Blues defence. There were close shaves from Vaughn and Fellaini but they were not giving ‘The Best English keeper’ much to do.

It’s said that the sign of a good keeper is when he pulls out something special after having little to do. Hart certainly did that as the game neared its end. With Blues unable to clear a high ball as the pressure mounted the ball fell invitingly to Fellaini. The Italian looked to have picked his spot to send the game to a replay but Joe Hart threw himself to the right and turned the ball away.

Blues sent on Jake Jervis for Chucho for a 10 minute debut and he managed to keep the Everton defence occupied with his pace and height. Blues were able to see out 4 minutes of ‘Fergie time’ without too much difficulty to register an historic win. As the fans chanted ‘we are unbeatable’ they were looking forward to the 5th round draw with some relish.
 
Toffees: 24 Howard 3 Baines 5 Heitinga 15 Distin 18 Neville 7 Bilyaletdinov (Osman 46) (yellow card) 9 Donovan (Arteta 76) 17 Cahill (yellow card) 2 Pienaar 25 Fellaini 8 Saha (Vaughan 69)

Substitutes 1 Nash, 31 Coleman, 34 Shane Duffy, 10 Arteta, 21 Osman, 14 Vaughan, 37 Baxter

Goal: Osman 56

Blues: 25 Hart 2 Carr 6 Ridgewell 14 Johnson 15 Dann 4 Bowyer 7 Larsson 12 Ferguson 18 Fahey 11 Benitez (Jervis 79) 16 McFadden (McSheffrey 89)

Substitutes

1 Taylor, 20 Queudrue, 27 Gregory Vignal, 17 Marcos Madera, 19 McSheffrey, 22 Johnson, 32 Jervis

Goals: Benitez 6 Fergusson 40

Ref: Webb (Top Class)

Att: 30,875

By Alan Watton

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