Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Pistone, Stubbs, Weir, Osman, Gravesen, Carsley, Kilbane, Campbell, McFadden.

Bench: Wright for Martyn (46m), Naysmith for Pistone (46m), Watson for Gravesen (57m) , Bent for Campbell (57m), Chadwick for McFadden (71m), Clarke for Stubbs (75m), Fox for Kilbane (79m), Gerrard for Weir (82).

Goalscorers: Osman (2m), Campbell (57m), McFadden (71m), Watson(2) (74m) & (81m), Kilbane (79m).

I know the results don’t matter in these pre-season friendliest, but there is nothing better than watching the Toffeemen win away from home. I love it. And 6-3 to boot. Crisis, what crisis?

Player By Player

Nigel Martyn:8. Had no chance with the goal he conceded. Gives the back four confidence.

Tony Hibbert:7. Still doesn’t look the player he was a few seasons ago, but still a steady performance. Played the full 90

David Weir:6. OK, I think Davie will be the one on the bench when Joey’s fit.

Alan Stubbs:6. OK, Still has the ability to hit them forty yarders to the wingers from his own half.

Alessandro Pistone:7. A classy act when he wants to be. A steady game. Only played 45. He looked in the mirror at half- time and realized the barber had cut his hair too short. He was so distraught he couldn’t continue.

Leon Osman:9. Opened the scoring after only 2 minutes and looked sharp all night. He wants to get involved in everything. He had to play in the middle of the park for the last half hour and he didn’t disappoint.

Lee Carsley:7. Actually played as well as I have seen him. Had two great long distance efforts, one smashing against the bar.

Tommy Gravesen:8. We had a good Tommy on show tonight. Always wanting the ball and spreading the play all over the place. The ball for Super’s goal was top notch. We would in serious trouble if our most creative player decided to leave.

Kevin Kilbane:7. Another steady performance from Killa and hit the goal of the game with a whopper from the edge of the box with his right peg

Kevin Campbell:6. Okish. Did his best but looked a bit slow. He still scored Everton’s 2nd .

Jamie McFadden 8. Looks best up front. Worked well all night and deserved his goal.

Richard Wright: 7 Little wrong, but I feel better with Nige in the sticks

Gary Nacesmith: 6. Okish. I just wish he would get involved more in the game, he doesn’t contribute enough. I think Pisto will get the left back slot.

Marcus Bent: 7. Really eager to impress. He wanted to score badly. He holds the ball well and has a neat touch. He looked promising.

Steve Watson 7. Always pops up with goals. Got two late on and nearly had a hat-trick when his shot was cleared off the line.
Nick Chadwick: Late sub

Peter Clarke: Late Sub

Daniel Fox: Late Sub

Anthony Gerrard; Late Sub. He must have had all of his family there, the screams when he came on from the back of the stand was Bay City Roller stuff.

All in all a good work out for the fans and the players. There did seem to be a genuine good spirit between all the players, and the management, who all came to give us a clap and a wave before we headed off home down that lunatic of a road they call the snake pass.

Quotes

Moyesy says: “We done ok and in the first half I was disappointed that we didn’t pass the ball as well as we should have done. We lost a really poor goal and we cannot afford to do that because it will be too hard in the Premiership to score goals. It is something we can work on but we need the players themselves to take responsibility. In the second-half we were a bit better, picked things up, got the goals but you have to remember these boys played on Sunday night, come back from America, had no training and then played.”

Team News

Joey and Hibbo look certain to miss the game, but Pisto, Steve Watson and Tommy Grav should be fit. Also Dunc will be back. Alan Irvine revealed that this game against Wed was bad timing and efforts were made to change it, but because Wed had already advertised it, it's game on.

Alan Irvine says:"We have to expect that some of the players will be suffering from the effects of the traveling, but that's another challenge in itself.

I thought the experience of playing the two Mexican sides was absolutely fantastic. It was a great workout for all our players in both games and that is important at this time of the year. Wednesday will be a very different style, as we all know, but it's one that has to be coped with all the same."(03/08/04)