West Ham v Everton: FA Cup replay – as it happened!
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jan/13/west-ham-v-everton-fa-cup-replay-live Version 0 of 1. 10.41pm GMT22:41 Bye! And with that, I must leave you. It’s been a thrill. Thanks for your most wonderful company. Bye! Keep a look out for James Riach’s match report, which will be with you imminently. Here, to keep you entertained in the meantime, is a report of Fulham’s shoot-out victory at Wolves. Bye! 10.38pm GMT22:38 Football's the winner tonight, etc That was an extremely fine cup tie. Really very marvellous. It had it all – fine goals, terrible defending, 20 penalties, red cards, amazing, thrilling, constantly entertaining. 10.35pm GMT22:35 Adrian scores! West Ham win 9-8 on penalties! Adrian places the ball on the spot. He retreats to the start of his run-up. He pulls off his gloves and throws them to the turf. He won’t be needing them again tonight. And then he sends Robles one way, and the ball the other! Updated at 10.55pm GMT 10.33pm GMT22:33 Robles misses! West Ham 2-2 Everton (8-8 pens) Everton’s keeper has a lazy, slow run-up and then thunders a shot that is neither lazy nor slow against the bar! Now can West Ham’s keeper win this? Updated at 10.54pm GMT 10.33pm GMT22:33 Jenkinson scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (8-8 pens) Whoosh! That flies high into the roof of the net, six inches away from slamming into the bar and ending the tie! 10.32pm GMT22:32 Coleman scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (7-8 pens) That’s a fine, confident penalty. Why’s he the eighth choice? 10.32pm GMT22:32 Amalfitano scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (7-7 pens) Is this going to end at some point? I’m not really sure. 10.31pm GMT22:31 Jagielka scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (6-7 pens) Very calmly done that, with the keeper going to his right and ball going to his left. 10.30pm GMT22:30 Valencia scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (6-6 pens) Nice penalty, that, with Robles again guessing wrong but probably helpless anyhow. 10.30pm GMT22:30 Stones scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (5-6 pens) No Panenka this time! Instead Stones hits low to his left, Adrian guesses right and gets a strong hand to it, but can’t keep it out. 10.29pm GMT22:29 Cole scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (5-5 pens) And he does! Robles dives to his right and the ball whizzes past his left shoulder. 10.29pm GMT22:29 Barry scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (4-5 pens) Barry converts, and now Carlton Cole has to score … 10.28pm GMT22:28 SAVED! West Ham 2-2 Everton (4-4 pens) Another low, central penalty, and this one Robles saves. Updated at 10.42pm GMT 10.28pm GMT22:28 Oviedo scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (4-4 pens) Another one goes in, and Downing has a penalty to win this. 10.27pm GMT22:27 Cresswell scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (4-3 pens) Not a good penalty, weak, low and down the middle, but Robles again dives out of the way. 10.26pm GMT22:26 Baines scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (3-3 pens) This is very nearly saved too! Adrian gets a hand to it, but it’s not enough. 10.26pm GMT22:26 Carroll scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (3-2 pens) Again the keeper goes the wrong way, and Carroll hits to his left into the corner. Updated at 10.36pm GMT 10.25pm GMT22:25 Lukaku scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (2-2 pens) Lukaku’s penalty is brilliantly cool, rolling slowly into the corner of the net with the keeper nowhere. 10.25pm GMT22:25 Nolan scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (2-1 pens) Nolan calmly puts his side into the lead… Updated at 10.35pm GMT 10.24pm GMT22:24 Naismith's shot is SAVED! West Ham 2-2 Everton (1-1 pens) Naismith hits high, hard, and towards the corner. Probably the best penalty yet, but the keeper goes the right way and it’s the first to be saved. Updated at 10.34pm GMT 10.23pm GMT22:23 Noble scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (1-1 pens) Robles dives early, and Noble sidefoots the ball down the middle of the empty side of goal. Updated at 10.39pm GMT 10.23pm GMT22:23 Mirallas scores! West Ham 2-2 Everton (0-1 pens) Mirallas cracks it low and down the middle, and Adrian dives out the way. 10.22pm GMT22:22 Robles is probably the man of the match already, but the next few minutes could make it absolutely certain. Everton to go first. 10.21pm GMT22:21 PENALTIES: It looks like Nolan, Downing, Noble, Cresswell and Carroll are our chosen five... [2-2] #WHUEVE What, no Valencia? 10.19pm GMT22:19 Look out for the John Stones Panenka here: 10.17pm GMT22:17 Final score: West Ham 2-2 Everton. It's penalties! 120+2 mins: With Everton desperately trying to make a substitution before it’s too late, the referee calls a halt to proceedings, and this breathless, compelling match is over! 10.16pm GMT22:16 120+1 mins: One more chance to win this, and it’s missed! Amalfitano releases Valencia, cutting into the penalty area from the right. It would have taken a very fine shot to score but he doesn’t even attempt one, instead attempting – and failing – to tee up Cole. 10.15pm GMT22:15 120 mins: Fight! Nearly! Between team-mates! Noble and Tomkins argue with each other as the corner comes to nothing, and Robles is booked for taking too much time over his goal kick. Updated at 10.24pm GMT 10.14pm GMT22:14 120 mins: Another fine save from Robles! Cole finds Amalfitano on the right side of the penalty area and he, from 15 yards, lashes the ball towards the top corner, but it’s saved. 10.13pm GMT22:13 118 mins: Ooooooooh! What a chance to win it for Everton! Lukaku picks up the ball 25 yards out, runs round a West Ham defence that seems to have lost its legs and into the area, but then drags his shot across goal! 10.12pm GMT22:12 117 mins: Nobody’s settling for penalties yet, Everton committing four men to an attack which is finally foiled by Nolan, West Ham running down the other end and Valencia’s pull-back finding a defender. 10.10pm GMT22:10 116 mins: Ooooh! Carroll wins the header, which hits Jagielka’s head and flies only just wide! 10.09pm GMT22:09 115 mins: Can there be more drama here? Other than the obvious drama of penalties, obviously. West Ham have another corner, this one won by Nolan. 10.08pm GMT22:08 GOAL! West Ham 2-2 Everton (Cole, 113 mins) And West Ham equalise from it! The ball is curled beyond the far post, where Tomkins heads back into the middle, and Cole prods home from three yards, with what might well have been his first touch. Updated at 10.18pm GMT 10.07pm GMT22:07 112 mins: Valencia does well to win a corner when he seemed to have overhit the ball … 10.05pm GMT22:05 111 mins: West Ham haven’t done anything much in the last six minutes, and it’s all enough to convince Sam Allardyce to take off a defender – Collins – and bring on a striker – Carlton Cole. 10.04pm GMT22:04 109 mins: Valencia attempts a shot, but it flies wide for a goal kick. “Champions League and International extra time is always so naff,” complains Gregory Dyche. “This, on the other hand, is great. I miss Howard in the same way that I miss mashed potato, but I’m glad to have a break from him, like I am glad to have a break from mashed potato.” So you don’t miss Howard, or mashed potato? 10.02pm GMT22:02 107 mins: Mirallas, running into the penalty area, goes over Tomkins’ leg. The referee, on the advice of his assistant, gives a free kick. It a) wasn’t a foul, and b) was in the penalty area. 10.00pm GMT22:00 Peeeeeeeeeep! 106 mins: Everton take the day’s seventh kick-off. Will it be the last? 9.59pm GMT21:59 Meanwhile in Wolverhampton, where it’s Wolves 2-2 Fulham: 9.57pm GMT21:57 Half time in extra time: West Ham 1-2 Everton 105+1 mins: The referee calls an end to the third half of the night. Updated at 10.03pm GMT 9.57pm GMT21:57 105+1 mins: Jenkinson slams in a fierce cross from the right, which hits Baines in the head. More pain for the lad. Updated at 10.03pm GMT 9.56pm GMT21:56 105 mins: The ball goes out for a goal kick, which Robles is in absolutely no hurry over whatsoever. Updated at 10.03pm GMT 9.54pm GMT21:54 103 mins: Baines, having been steamrollered by Carroll on multiple occasions, is pushed off the pitch by Amalfitano, skids over some gravely stuff and flies into a plastic stool. He’ll have some bruises this evening. Updated at 10.03pm GMT 9.51pm GMT21:51 100 mins: Mirallas gets the ball on the half-way line and heads forward, torturing the entire defence repeatedly, until he’s within touching distance of the penalty area, when Carroll arrives to dispossess him. Updated at 10.00pm GMT 9.49pm GMT21:49 GOAL! West Ham 1-2 Everton (Lukaku, 97 mins) He didn’t miss that one! Mirallas carries the ball down the left, checks back infield, changes his mind, heads back to the byline and slides the ball to Lukaku, loitering at the near post, who prods it over the line! Updated at 10.11pm GMT 9.48pm GMT21:48 97 mins: Oooooh! A ball intended for the offside Lukaku falls instead for Naismith, and a few moments later Lukaku – now onside – is presented with the ball, via a helpful deflection off a defender, and the goal at his mercy, but misses his kick! Updated at 9.59pm GMT 9.46pm GMT21:46 95 mins: Lukaku releases Robles on the left, but after a moment of excitement as he appears ready to sprint clear, we realise he’s actually offside. 9.44pm GMT21:44 92 mins: Noble’s 25-yard shot flies straight at Robles, who pushes the ball back into the danger area, where Carroll gets a bit excited, tries to control with his hand and concedes a free-kick. 9.41pm GMT21:41 Peeeeeeeep! 91 mins: Short breather over, the referee gets things started yet again. 9.40pm GMT21:40 The winner of this tie will play Bristol City, 2-0 winners over Doncaster tonight. 9.38pm GMT21:38 End of normal time: West Ham 1-1 Everton 90+5 mins: Crikey. It’s been manic, wildly helter-skelter stuff, and there’s still no separating these teams. Another half-hour please, guv’nor! 9.36pm GMT21:36 90+3 mins: Nothing much has happened for about 20 seconds, which makes it the most prolonged period of dull mediocrity for half an hour or so. Then Downing crosses, and Carroll totally ignores Jagielka’s existence in his efforts to win the ball, but the referee thinks he probably should have borne it in mind. Free-kick. 9.34pm GMT21:34 90+2 mins: Amalfitano tries to release Valencia, but Jagielka outpaces him and pumps the ball out for a corner. “Does Andy Carroll have a ‘good touch for a big man’?” wonders Dante Danger. “And, is there a relationship such that the bigger you are, the worse your touch should be? If so, does Barry have a terrible touch for someone small” 9.32pm GMT21:32 90+1 mins: There will be at least four minutes of stoppage time here. That was a lovely attempt from Nolan, hooking the ball over his left shoulder and towards the far corner, and an excellent save to keep it out. 9.31pm GMT21:31 89 mins: A pull-back rolls a fraction behind Carroll, and then there’s a cross that Carroll only just misses, a Nolan shot charged down, and finally a Nolan effort tipped over the bar! Those were 20 insane seconds right there. 9.30pm GMT21:30 88 mins: Noble tries a cheeky near-poster, but it’s saved! And then Downing crosses and Valencia has a lovely chance, eight yards out, but he heads at the keeper. 9.29pm GMT21:29 87 mins: Valencia crosses from the left and Stones blocks with his arm, on the edge of the penalty area. Penalty! Scream the West Ham players. Free-kick! Says the referee. 9.28pm GMT21:28 86 mins: From 35 yards, Cresswell shoots high. Extra time is looming here, though there’ll be a few chances in the next few minutes, I expect. 9.27pm GMT21:27 85 mins: Gareth Barry gets in Carroll’s way and is booked for it. He didn’t seem to do much wrong there, really. Updated at 9.54pm GMT 9.25pm GMT21:25 83 mins: You’ve got to love a cheeky near-post free-kick goal. West Ham fans might disagree, of course, but still … 9.24pm GMT21:24 GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Everton (Mirallas, 82 mins) The ball is placed near the left-hand corner of the area, perfect for a cross, it seems. But Mirallas doesn’t cross, and instead curls the ball in at the near post! Updated at 9.45pm GMT 9.23pm GMT21:23 81 mins: Collins is in the thick of the action at both ends. Another direct pass towards Lukaku, and as the Belgian waits for the ball Collins tries to pull his short off him. Dangerous free-kick! 9.22pm GMT21:22 80 mins: SUPER SAVE! Now it’s all happening. West Ham win a corner, Collins wins it and his header looks bound for the top corner until Robles sticks out a hand to turn it over. Moments later Downing spears the ball into the area, Collins wins the header again but this time the ball goes wide. 9.21pm GMT21:21 78 mins: INCREDIBLE MISS/BLOCK/SOMETHING! Everton hit the ball long and Collins reaches it first, but Lukaku leaps across his path to block the clearance and then crosses low to Mirallas who has no goalkeeper to beat, six yards out. It looks a certain goal, until Tomkins stretches out his left leg to block the ball! 9.20pm GMT21:20 78 mins: Mirallas gets booked for clipping Tomkins’ ankles. 9.19pm GMT21:19 77 mins: Cresswell hits the ball deep and early towards Carroll, who heads a difficult chance a yard over the bar, and knocked Baines out of the way to do it. 9.17pm GMT21:17 74 mins: Everton create a bit of panic in the home penalty area, with the ball getting pumped up towards Lukaku before a clearance hits Mirallas in the arse and rebounds to Naismith, who tries to work a shooting chance but runs out of pitch. 9.14pm GMT21:14 72 mins: Nolan gets his customary yellow card by attempting a truly idiotically late challenge on Jagielka with the ball absolutely miles away. 9.13pm GMT21:13 70 mins: Carroll’s been in full battering-ram mode tonight, a nightmare to play against, but he gets Carrolled here when the ball is hoisted into the penalty area and he seemed all set to win it until Robles arrived, punched the ball clear of dangers and flew straight through Carroll in the process. Updated at 9.32pm GMT 9.11pm GMT21:11 69 mins: Downing’s pull-back trundles just behind Carroll as West Ham threaten again. And then they make another substitution, with Amalfitano replacing Jarvis for West Ham. 9.09pm GMT21:09 67 mins: Everton make a double substitution, Besic and Barkley coming off and Oviedo and Mirallas coming on. 9.08pm GMT21:08 66 mins: Cresswell now carries the ball 20 yards to the edge of the penalty area and then ignores the unmarked Downing at the far post to slam a shot across goal and wide. 9.07pm GMT21:07 65 mins: Carroll fouls Lukaku, and if Everton are to wrestle their way back into this game set pieces now seem the most likely route. Not this time, though, as Baines’ delivery is headed clear. 9.05pm GMT21:05 63 mins: Everton keep the ball for a while, before Besic eventually decides to attempt a moderately ambitious pass and gives it away. 9.03pm GMT21:03 61 mins: A substitution! Song’s night is over, and Nolan replaces him. 9.03pm GMT21:03 60 mins: Collins pumps the ball upfield and Carroll runs 20 yards to win it cleanly. Poor Leighton Baines, who would have headed it clear had Carroll not bothered, is instead steamrollered, and requires treatment. 9.00pm GMT21:00 58 mins: Song discovers his passing boots, sliding the ball along the ground into the six-yard box from deep on the right, and Collins only just fails to get on the end of it. 8.58pm GMT20:58 McGeady is sent off! Everton down to 10 men! Only one players has been booked in this game, and he’s done it twice. He slides in to tackle Noble but the West Ham midfielder reaches the ball first, goes flying over McGeady’s suddenly-arrived legs and that is a booking every day of the week. Updated at 11.07pm GMT 8.57pm GMT20:57 55 mins: Lukaku cuts in from the right and slams a left-footed powerzinger straight at Adrian from 20 yards. 8.54pm GMT20:54 GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Everton (Valencia, 51 mins) West Ham break, and that’s a horribly simple goal to concede. A 30-yard pass along the ground from just outside the penalty area to Carroll on the half-way line, a 30-yard pass along the ground to Valencia, running from left to right, who turns the ball across goal and past Robles. No pressure on the ball at any stage. Updated at 9.10pm GMT 8.52pm GMT20:52 50 mins: West Ham have the ball in a promising situation, but Downing takes and age to pass to Carroll, who takes an age to do anything very much, and then his lay-off is intercepted. 8.51pm GMT20:51 49 mins: West Ham win a corner, which Carroll knocks down and Collins takes a touch, swivels and half-volleys high and wide. If only it had been Collins with the knock-down, that might have ended differently. 8.50pm GMT20:50 47 mins: Barkley one-twos with Lukaku and bursts into the penalty area, where Jarvis gets in his way and shepherds the ball out of play. 8.48pm GMT20:48 Peeeeeeeeep! 46 mins: West Ham start half two, and about two seconds later the ball is pumped long towards Carroll. There wasn’t very much of that in half one, but could that be a change of emphasis? 8.47pm GMT20:47 The players are trotting back out. Incidentally, in the battle to face the winner of this game in round four, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas’s 36th-minute goal means Bristol City lead Doncaster 1-0. 8.45pm GMT20:45 Win, loss, tomayto, tomahto. @Simon_Burnton Contradictory to what Clive Allen says, these two teams look like they're going for the loss. Shame. 8.32pm GMT20:32 Half time: West Ham 0-0 Everton 45+2 mins: The referee blows his whistle and that is the end of half one. It’s been helter-skelter, high-octane, thrill-a-minute, error-riddled stuff. Quite fun, in short. 8.31pm GMT20:31 45+1 mins: We’re into stoppage time, of which there will be only one minute. Probably. 8.30pm GMT20:30 44 mins: Ooooh! Naismith slides the ball inside to McGeady, who diverts it just wide of the near post! Turns out he was offside, though. 8.28pm GMT20:28 Updated at 8.28pm GMT 8.27pm GMT20:27 42 mins: Naismith wins his side a corner, from which Stones has a header on goal that a) was saved and b) would have been disallowed anyway because he was basically sitting on the shoulders of a defender when he headed it. 8.25pm GMT20:25 40 mins: McGeady has become the game’s first bookee, after bringing down Jarvis (though it could have been a case of persistent foul play). 8.25pm GMT20:25 38 mins: The ball has spent the last couple of minutes on and around the half-way line, the most prolonged spell of not-manic-attacking so far. @Simon_Burnton Clive Allen on Five Live earlier informed us that it was "...refreshing to see both sides going for the win." It's a replay 8.20pm GMT20:20 34 mins: Another chance for West Ham! Valencia steals the ball in his own half and plays it right to Downing, who brings it to the edge of the area and sends it across goal into the path of Song 15 yards out, whose shot hits Valencia and rebounds to safety. It could have been going in, might have been a bit high. Hard to tell. Updated at 8.40pm GMT 8.15pm GMT20:15 30 mins: Downing finds space outside the penalty area, but his right-foot shot skids a yard wide of the near post. 8.14pm GMT20:14 28 mins: West Ham break in numbers, the crowd noise swells, but then Downing lets the ball run across his body, forcing him to check back, and the momentum is gone. Moments later possession goes with it, when Jenkinson’s overhit through-ball goes straight out of play. 8.11pm GMT20:11 25 mins: The number of defensive near-calamities here has been ludicrous. Now Coleman intercepts Song’s through-ball but gives it straight back to Cresswell. Had the pitch been half a yard longer he’d have been in real trouble, but instead the ball rolls out of play. 8.09pm GMT20:09 Updated at 8.21pm GMT 8.08pm GMT20:08 22 mins: More defensive mayhem, with Naismith again pickpocketing a West Ham defender who should have known better, but Collins excelling to bail his side out. Updated at 8.17pm GMT 8.06pm GMT20:06 19 mins: Everton toss a free-kick into the area, where Jagielka does brilliantly well to head back across goal, and the ball is cleared for a corner. That’s played to McGeady, whose shot from the edge of the area looked pretty decent until Carroll got in its way. 8.02pm GMT20:02 16 mins: West Ham win a free-kick, 40 yards out, and get all the big lads forward in preparation for a full-on assault on the penalty area. Noble decides not to assault the penalty area. 8.00pm GMT20:00 15 mins: McGeady cuts in from the right and shoots, low and left-footed, from 20-odd yards, but it rumbles wide. 7.58pm GMT19:58 13 mins: And moments later Lukaku’s played through by Barry, but he’s offside! Breathless stuff. 7.58pm GMT19:58 12 mins: Ooooooooh! West Ham miss a sitter! Stones catches a severe case of AlexSongitis and is dispossessed by Valencia five yards outside his penalty area. The forward then skips into the penalty area but his shot is deflected into the air by Robles, and then Carroll heads against the bar from an offside position. 7.56pm GMT19:56 11 mins: Song gives it away again, to McGeady this time, but once again Everton fail to fully capitalise. The visitors have certainly had the better of the last five minutes, with Song perhaps their man of the match so far. 7.54pm GMT19:54 9 mins: Song is dispossessed again in a dangerous area, Naismith picking the ball off his toes. Again, nothing much comes of it, but Song needs to wake up and sharpish. 7.53pm GMT19:53 7 mins: Everton attack, Song intercepts, dwells on the ball on the edge of his area for a while, and then gives it away. A quick one-two with Lukaku later, Naismith comes very close to running clear. 7.51pm GMT19:51 6 mins: A promising start to this game, with West Ham making a couple of threatening forays down the left flank – neither cross found a purple-clad head – and Everton clearly not content to just sit back either. 7.50pm GMT19:50 4 mins: West Ham, meanwhile, are wearing purple. It’s quite a nice purple shirt, but it certainly isn’t claret. It’s their third kit, also known as their FA Cup kit – they would have worn it at Goodison Park, but it would have clashed with Everton’s blue. 7.48pm GMT19:48 3 mins: McGeady has so much space on the right flank that he gets a bit confused and doesn’t do anything at all, and a few moments later the move quietly ends with a goal kick. 7.47pm GMT19:47 2 mins: A nice little run from Valencia is too good for a couple of Everton defenders, but not for the third. 7.45pm GMT19:45 Peeeeeeeep! 1 min: The game has kicked off, with Everton, clad in white shirts and socks and black, or at least very dark shorts, doing the honours. 7.45pm GMT19:45 And they are out, they have shaken hands and tossed coins and everything, and there is now nothing between us and football except a short song about bubbles. 7.41pm GMT19:41 The players are in the tunnel. Deep breath. Stay calm. 7.34pm GMT19:34 And so, now, has Roberto Martinez. [Lukaku’s goal at Goodison Park] felt like a turning point. Since that moment I think we’ve felt a real good energy in the squad. Sometimes you get a moment that, rewards arrive and it can really turn your season. From that we’re looking forward to this replay. When you play against West Ham you know you’ve got to be strong physically, and ready for those moments at dead ball situations. But we always play well at Upton Park, we know each other really well, it’s a game that we’re really looking forward to. 7.29pm GMT19:29 Sam Allardyce has been chatting to the folk at BT Sport. We’ve got to try to finish the job tonight. A difficult job it will be. We’re only missing Winston Reid who picked up an injury at Swansea. Andy Carroll gives us a target to spring off, and see if we can cause them problems like we did at their place. Somebody’s got to win tonight, got to get through. We’re playing at home, let’s try to see if we can get in the opposition box and put the ball in the back of the net. 7.14pm GMT19:14 Someone has leant a match programme against a goalpost and then taken a photograph of it. Which is the kind of event we simply can’t leave unmarked. Updated at 7.20pm GMT 7.08pm GMT19:08 West Ham bring in Matt Jarvis and Alex Song and leave out Winston Reid and Kevin Nolan, and give up on the three-at-the-back experiment they toyed with at Swansea. Everton keep faith with the side that started against Manchester City. Updated at 7.16pm GMT 7.05pm GMT19:05 The teams The team sheets are in, and the names they had on them were these: West Ham: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell, Noble, Song, Downing, Valencia, Carroll, Jarvis. Subs: Nolan, Vaz Te, O’Brien, Amalfitano, Jaaskelainen, Cole, Burke. Everton: Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines, Besic, Barry, McGeady, Naismith, Barkley, Lukaku. Subs: Oviedo, Kone, Mirallas, Garbutt, Alcaraz, McAleny, Griffiths. Referee: Neil Swarbrick. 6.45pm GMT18:45 We’re becoming a much more creative side but our defensive weaknesses have been exploited too much. In order to win football games you need to make sure you’re strong enough in both departments. Sam Allardyce there, showing the kind of tactical nous which has kept him at the top of the game all these years. Draws are an emotionally tricky result in terms of how you feel about them. Roberto Martínez there, with a quote that looks a bit silly if it’s taken totally out of context by some snide southern-based journalist but was actually not entirely senseless, what with the first meeting of these sides in this year’s FA Cup ending with Romelu Lukaku knocking in an equaliser 49 seconds into stoppage time, the result thusly tasting sweet to some and bitter to others. “It’s still only a draw but when you are the team that gets the equaliser late in the game, it can feel like a victory,” he continued. “In the same way, when you concede late on, it can feel like a defeat. We’re pleased we have a replay to play.” You see. As far as Allardyce’s complaint goes, if it is surprising that last year’s clean-sheet guzzlers have become so averse to the things, it is a development that neutrals must relish. Here’s to more wobbly defending, outstanding attacking and last-minute drama tonight – the only slow-paced, dreary safety dance I’m interested in is this one: Updated at 6.45pm GMT |