EVERTON BANKING ON BARKLEY

A MEDIOCRE performance and two excellent goals. What a peculiar night for Everton — on a Capital One Cup run that is clearly not ready to end just yet. For a long while they appeared to be heading for their fourth thirdround exit in as many years. Nick Blackman had put Reading ahead with his seventh goal of the season and his umpteenth chance of the evening. The home side deserved it; the team that actually had strong desires to do well in the competition were seemingly on their way home with nothing. But then Ross Barkley (right) hit an excellent volley shortly after the hour mark and Gerard Deulofeu scored an even better goal 17 minutes from time, curling a freekick past Ali Al Habsi. Harsh on Reading perhaps, but at sixth in the Championship they have a bigger deal to close this season. Blackman opening the scoring was no great surprise as he scored his sixth goal of the season in the weekend win at Bristol City. He had forced Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles to tip an effort over the bar after 11 minutes and then rush off his line and smother the ball quarter of an hour later. The opening goal, which came eight minutes before the break, was a thing of collective beauty. Reading won possession in their own half and blitzed a trail of one-touch passes out to the left wing where Ola John overlapped Andrew Taylor. Taylor set John free and his excellent cross to the far post was buried by Blackman. Quick, effective, attractive — everything the Premier League side were not at this stage. Barring an early opening for Arouna Kone, which he dragged wide, Everton barely made a dent. Indeed, in the entire first half, they did not get a shot on target. Manager Roberto Martinez had made five changes to the side that drew at Swansea on Saturday and it showed. A chance for a midtable Premier League club to take a cup run was slipping away and none of the regular starters seemed to have the wit to apply the breaks. Martinez responded by taking off Kone for Gareth Barry at half-time and giving Aaron Lennon extra licence to roam from his rather unusual station at left back. John Stones was also substituted for Brendan Galloway. Everton still could not land a blow on goal and Reading still looked solid on the ball. Then along came Barkley. Martinez has been lavish in his praise of the youngster and his finish helped to explain why, keeping the falling ball low and steering it past Ali Al Habsi.