This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/23/swansea-city-everton-capital-one-cup-match-report

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Swansea City and Jefferson Montero expose Everton’s weak points Swansea City and Jefferson Montero expose Everton’s weak points
(about 1 hour later)
Everton probably have more than enough on their plate this season, with the Europa League high on their agenda, but elimination from the Capital One Cup in this fashion still felt like a setback that Roberto Martínez could have done without. Nathan Dyer, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Marvin Emnes scored the goals that condemned Martinez’s side to a second defeat in 48 hours and, in the process, created a little bit of history – this was the first time Swansea have beaten Everton in 21 attempts. Everton probably have more than enough on their plate this season, with the Europa League high on their agenda, but elimination from the Capital One Cup in this fashion still felt like a setback that Roberto Martínez could have done without. Nathan Dyer, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Marvin Emnes scored the goals that condemned Martínez’s side to a second defeat in 48 hours and, in the process, created history – this was the first time Swansea have beaten Everton in 21 attempts.
It ended up being a chastening experience for Everton and in particular Tim Howard. At fault for two goals against Crystal Palace on Sunday, the Everton goalkeeper retained his place presumably to get a bit of confidence back ahead of the Merseyside derby on Saturday. Instead the American ended up picking the ball out of the net three times for the second successive match. The broader statistics do not make for good reading: Everton have now conceded 17 goals in seven matches. For Everton, and in particular their goalkeeper Tim Howard, it ended up being a chastening experience. At fault for two goals against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Howard retained his place presumably to get a bit of confidence back ahead of the Merseyside derby on Saturday. Instead the American ended up picking the ball out of the net three times for the second successive match. The broader statistics do not make for good reading: Everton have now conceded 17 goals in seven matches.
While it was an unhappy return to these parts for Martínez, there was much for Garry Monk to enjoy about an evening in which his Swansea team played with confidence and thoroughly deserved their place in the fourth round. Not that Martínez would accept this performance was any cause for concern. Asked whether it had been a disappointing night on his return to south Wales, he replied: “Not really, no. I’m disappointed with the result. But it was not a disappointing night. When you make [seven] changes in the lineup, you’re looking for individual performances amongst everything else and then trying to win a football game.”
It was a miserable night in south Wales, with incessant rain falling throughout, but Swansea’s sensible decision to slash ticket prices meant there was barely an empty seat in sight. The game itself had been something of a slow burner until Dyer, darting in from the right, converted Jefferson Montero’s cross in the 29th minute to put Swansea ahead. The Everton manager went on to reel off how pleased he was that Bryan Oviedo, Darron Gibson and Tony Hibbert had all returned to the starting line up after lengthy spells on the sidelines, although he was on dodgy ground when he claimed that the Everton right-back had “looked sharp”. Hibbert was anything but that on a night when Jefferson Montero, Swansea’s Ecuador international, wriggled past him to set up the first goal and caused no end of problems with his pace.
Montero, one of five changes to the Swansea side who lost to Southampton, was the best player on the pitch in the first half, so much so that at times it was tempting to feel a degree of sympathy for Tony Hibbert. The Everton right-back was making his first appearance for seven months and could have been forgiven for wishing he had been given an easier assignment to welcome him back to first-team action. With his sinuous runs on the left, Montero was proving to be a tricky customer. When it was pointed out that Swansea’s second goal had come from yet another defensive mistake – Sylvain Distin’s mistimed header struck his own crossbar before Sigurdsson half-volleyed home – Martínez did concede that Everton have work to do defensively.
Everton, however, had come close to taking the lead in the 19th minute. Bryan Oviedo, making his first appearance since suffering a double leg fracture eight months ago, was brought down on the left, earning Federico Fernández a yellow card in the process. From the free-kick that followed Luke Garbutt, one of seven changes to the Everton starting XI, delivered a cross that somehow ran through to Antolín Alcaraz at the far post. Stabbing the ball towards goal, Alcaraz was denied by Gerhard Tremmel, the Swansea goalkeeper, who did just enough to deflect the central defender’s shot wide. “It’s something that we need to address. The second goal is a bad decision,” he said. “Luck plays a part and sometimes when you’re chasing a scoreline those things happen. But I’m not obsessed with it [defensive errors]. We kept 15 clean sheets last season, it’s in our DNA. We’re a team that can defend and keep clean sheets. We need to fine-tune certain aspects.”
Dyer was not so forgiving when opportunity knocked at the other end. Picking up possession from Jonjo Shelvey, Montero carried the ball infield, wriggled in between Hibbert and Muhamed Besic in the Everton area, and slid a low centre across the six-yard box that the Swansea winger was able to sidefoot home at the far post. Howard, who got a good hand to the ball after racing across his line, was unable to conceal his frustration at seeing Dyer’s shot nestle in the corner of the net. For Garry Monk, who played alongside as well as under Martínez at Swansea, it was a highly satisfactory evening’s work. After successive Premier League defeats, the Swansea manager saw his side return to winning ways in front of a close to capacity crowd – credit to the Welsh club for slashing ticket prices – and there was the added bonus of Montero’s highly impressive display on the left wing. “It’s something that we targeted once we had the teamsheets,” Monk said, alluding to Hibbert’s inclusion. “Jefferson was a very good threat.”
Martínez replaced Samuel Eto’o with Romelu Lukaku at half-time but Everton’s hopes of finding a way back into the game were fading fast when Sigurdsson added Swansea’s second. The Icelander had come close to scoring earlier, when Howard repelled his bullet header from another Montero cross. One of five changes to the Swansea team, Montero was the architect of the opener when he darted past Hibbert and Muhamed Besic before delivering a low cross that Dyer sidefooted home at the far post. Antolín Alcaraz had squandered a decent chance to put Everton ahead 10 minutes earlier, when Gerhard Tremmel came off his line to deflect the defender’s shot wide.
Everton were let off the hook on that occasion but there was no reprieve in the 64th minute. Shelvey’s inswinging cross bounced awkwardly but Sylvain Distin made a terrible hash of trying to head clear, with the ball striking his own crossbar. Sigurdsson was well positioned to take full advantage, though there was still much to admire about the way he improvised to volley home. Emnes, a late substitute, added the third with a 20-yard shot that beat Howard at his near post. Martinez replaced Samuel Eto’o with Romelu Lukaku at half-time but Sigurdsson put the game beyond Everton when he added a second. The Icelander, whose point-blank header from Montero’s superb centre was kept out by Howard earlier in the second half, improvised to volley in from six yards after Distin’s wayward header had hit the Everton bar. Emnes, a late substitute, added the third with a 20-yard shot that beat Howard at his near post. “Three goals, a clean sheet, we couldn’t have asked for more,” Monk said.