Kopites Take Three Points Back To Norway

Everton battled hard against 'that lot' across the park, but eventually fell to a 2-0 defeat, continuing an abysmal record at Goodison against them in recent times. We always seem to scrape a draw at their place, but all too often fail at home.

Everton had much the better of things for over an hour of the contest, it was only when unlikely starter Jo got taken off that Liverpool started to assert themselves and eventually killed the tie off.

Everton made four changes to the side that lost at Hull mid week, Yakubu, Saha, Neill and Rodwell dropping out, replaced by Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Fellaini and Jo.

Everton dominated Liverpool in the opening exchanges, and if Bilyaletdinov had managed to connect with a Pienaar cross would have gone ahead within five minutes.

But as good as an Everton midfield which bosses their Liverpool counterparts were, the calamity duo of Distin and Yobo cost Everton again.

Possibly the most dislikeable footballer ever, Mascherano, tried a speculative effort from 25 yards ten minutes in which was going comfortably wide, before Yobo diverted it past the stranded Howard.

Liverpool somehow ahead with their first attack of the game, which wasn't even a decent attack, meant Everton had to respond. And respond they did.

Everton pushed Liverpool back to their own area for the vast majority of the rest of the half, and really should have scored a handful of goals before the break. Bilyaletdinov the most culpable of poor finishing when he somehow fired wide at the back post, any shot on target would have had Reina beaten but it wasn't to be. Not long after Jo was inches away from connecting with a through ball that would also have certainly have resulted in a goal.

Everton did have the ball in the net twice in the first half, but both times strikes by Jo were ruled out for offside.

Firstly a brilliant Everton passing move was prodded home by Jo on the half hour mark, but he had strayed slightly offside. Probably a correct decision, however it would have been allowed at the other end.

The second was a blatant offside, a Yobo head was collected by Jo on the goal line before he prodded it home.

The Everton crowd were roaring their team on, whilst nobody heard anything from the Norwegian contingent infesting the Bullens, but the Blues couldn't fine the break through.

Everton started the second half as they ended the first, around the Liverpool area, but again couldn't find a break through.

But momentum was fading and Moyes decided to bring on King Louis for a tiring Jo, a very good performance by the Brazilian though.

Minutes later Reina somehow denied Everton an equaliser. A Tim Cahill header destined for the bottom corner was clawed away, before the Spaniard also managed to clear Fellaini's follow up.

But Everton tired, and seemed to lose faith they'd find an equaliser and with ten minutes left Kuyt ended the tie. Howard parried a Reira shot into Kuyt's path who did the rest.

Everton pretty much gave up at this point, but can take credit from the fact they battered their neighbours for 60 minutes today, even if the result didn't give them what they deserved. And we aren't far away from being the side we were.

Heitinga, Pienaar and Fellaini bossed a Liverpool midfield better than any Everton side has for a decade.

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