Mad Hatters g WOODROW SHOWS UP LATE TO SPAR Lee party K LUTON WEMBLEY TALK
IT WAS groundhog day for another mad Hatters party as the travelling Luton fans celebrated this late, late victory with chants of ‘Wembley, Wembley’. At the end of September they had danced up and down in the same Goodison Park seats following their first-ever Premier League three points at the expense of Sean Dyche’s bemused side.
It appeared that Everton’s first FA Cup goal against Luton since Gary Lineker notched would be enough to send a frantic clash towards a replay.
Jack Harrison had to thank Luton keeper Tim Krul, Rob Edwards’ go-to player for the FA Cup, whose lack of concentration handed Everton the equaliser. Luton had bossed the game and had deserved to take the lead through an unfortunate Vitaliy Mykolenko own goal.
Even the presence of legendary player and boss Joe Royle couldn’t lift Everton to the heights of a silverware past. Royle who won the league as a player was the last Everton manager to land a trophy, the FA Cup back in 1995.
And the wait will continue, after in the final moments of five minutes added time substitute
Cauley Woodrow scrambled in the winner past Joao Virginia (left) after Carlton Morris’ header was blocked on the line by Arnaut Danjuma. Everton fell to their knees while Luton went crazy in front of their fans.
Luton’s bright start had conjured up a couple of promising openings in the first four minutes, both Alfie Doughty and Morris firing over the bar from close range.
It had been all Luton making it a nervy watch for the home fans, a Morris chipped cross presenting
Elijah Adeb which he industrious vicious effo
Everton’s and puff, Calvert-le partner B Portuguese
Amadou chance be Luton went
Doughty’ in evidence which cau
yo with a free header sent wide and the Ross Barkley seeing a t blocked. attacks had been huff although Dominic in did set up strike eto only for the to prod wide. nana wasted another ore, to no surprise, ahead. dead-ball skills were as he swept in a corner ed mayhem. Reece
Burke and Mykolenko battled for the ball at the near post resulting in it being diverted into the net, with the Everton player saddled with the decisive touch.
Most of Luton’s players embraced Everton old boy Barkley for blocking Calvert-lewin in an obvious training ground exercise which survived a VAR check.
Shortly after the break they were consoling keeper Krul as a horrendous error saw Everton grab an unlikely equaliser. Beto flicked on to Harrison (right) who accelerated to the area leaving Amari’i Bell on his backside and a shot which lacked real venom squirmed through Krul and trickled over the line.
Luton looked dangerous on the break and Barkley’s last act before being substituted to a crescendo of boos was a fierce drive which flew just over the bar.
Calvert-lewin came alive with a run to the edge of the box and seeing his foray end with his shot cannoning away for a corner. That was as good as it got.