Dom’s double is Silva lining
Everton win without the sparkle
EVERTON 3 ROTHERHAM 1
FOR much of the night, he looked like a man whose dreams of Wembley were evaporating in front of him. Hands on hips, arms waving in frustration, the Everton manager shook his head frequently.
Marco Silva, clearly, was not happy with everything he saw from his side but, ultimately, the task was accomplished.
A 3-1 victory over Rotherham may have been achieved without the style their Portuguese manager wants but he will take the win anyway.
Everton, in years gone by, have made heavy weather of these kind of games and they did so again. Rotherham had plenty of energy and commitment but all they had to show for their effort was a late headed goal from Will Vaulks.
Ultimately a goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson and two for Dominic Calvert-Lewin were enough for Everton to progress.
In keeping with the trend of this competition, both sides made eight changes but the most significant alteration for Everton was the captain’s armband being handed to Tom Davies who — at 20 years and 69 days — became the youngest player to lead the team.
Davies, as is his way, was a busy figure in the opening stages of the game.
He was constantly involved and tried his best to establish a foothold for his team against spirited opponents, who served early notice of their intentions with speculative efforts from striker Jamie Proctor and Joe Newell.
Soon, though, Everton began to find a rhythm and after Sigurdsson forced goalkeeper Lewis Price to make a plunging save in the 21st minute, the Iceland international released the tension inside the stadium by bundling the ball in from close range as it fizzed across the sixyard box.
The goal was created by Sandro Ramirez, who was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up.
The Spain Under 21 international will sign a season-long loan deal with Real Sociedad today, with Silva eager for him to get some game time. From that point, the tie thankfully became more open. which should have served to benefit Rotherham. In the 37th minute, they almost profited when Ben Wiles and Newell combined on the left but the latter’s cross skidded past Sean Raggett, who was waiting to pounce. Back came Everton within 60 seconds and Sandro, whose first year on Merseyside had been a disaster, was again involved, ushering Sigurdsson to the byline.
His cut back found Davies but his shot was too close to Price and he was able to palm the ball away.
Given the encouraging way they have started the Premier League campaign, Everton should have had far too much class for Rotherham.
But the longer things dragged on without the home side earning the buffer of a second goal, the more restless the majority of 31,972 crowd became.
This was not a good Everton performance and the way Silva allowed his head to flop in frustration and the manner in which he waved his arms like windmills at times, left you in no doubt that he was unhappy with what he was seeing.
Before the manager could get totally vexed, however, the second goal arrived to calm him down somewhat.
Sigurdsson’s free-kick hit the wall and bounced to Lucas Digne, whose cross to the back post was met perfectly by Calvert-Lewin.
Vaulks looked to set up a nervy conclusion but Calvert-Lewin’s brilliant second goal completed the win.