bluekipper.com - Carling Cup Luton v Everton - Match Report - 2007/2008

Everton: Wessels, Lescott, Stubbs, Valente, Neville, Jagielka, Pienaar, Osman, Carsley, McFadden, Anichebe

Bench: Howard, Gravesen (Pienaar), Cahill

(Anichebe), Vaughan (McFadden), Yakubu

Everton playing on Halloween, don't worry I won't put any of those cheap journalistic double entendres in like what a horror show, as it sounds shit, cheap and quite frankly boring. A place in the quarter finals of the League Cup was up for grabs, a first in nearly twenty years for the Blues. The game itself was not spooktacular, as Everton made hard work of dispatching of Luton from two divisions below them. It took our saviour Tiny Tim to chase away Everton's demons as he came off the bench to fire home and kill off the lively Hatters, in what was in all fairness a horror show of a game. OK, OK that's enough of that as my horror creative juices are at an all time low.

Moyesy went with a strong set up as promised, and it was nice to see Nuno getting his expected run out in place of injured Leighton. Faddy and Big Vic got the nod ahead of Vaughny and The Yak, but they did nothing, but neither did most of the Everton lads in one of those poor games for both sides. Roger saved the day for the Blues clearing one off the line, as Luton tried to carry on their impressive home form in taking the game to the Blues.

The Blues did come to life when Vaughny entered the fray in the second period, and what a delight to see him back in action after his lay off. His ring rustiness cost the Blues a normal time winner when his tame header could have spared the Blues and us the fans thirty more minutes of footballing hell, definitely no Halloween pun there, honest !!

Extra time it was then, and Everton's other new signing this season (well it feels like one to me), Tiny Tim settled this drab affair with ten minutes left on the extra time clock. It was poor and there is no hiding from the fact, but who cares, its a Cup Comp and we won. Moyesy who could not win a Cup game for love nor money in the past is now five unbeaten this season. If he can go another two in this one, its off to Wembley next March for a Spring Time piss up. The line up however is hard, Chelski, the Arse, Spurs, resurgent Shittteh to name but a few. A home tie is essential, so its fingers crossed for Saturdays balls to be kind to us. Starman, a few candidates stood out, Ossie (thats for you Kev), Nuno (only because I love him), but Tiny gets the nod. The game changed for the better when he came on, and that's good enough for me.

Luton 0 Blues 1 (AET)

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Quotes After The Game

Alan Irvine says: "We expected it to be tough and we expected that until we managed to score a goal. Obviously when we did score we then expected an onslaught from Luton and sure enough they pushed a lot of players forward and they caused us a few scares. People were told what had to be done and players were aware that they hadn’t played well in the first half, so they had a point to prove. They came out very early in the second half and they were very ready and we played well and probably should have finished the game in that half.

I think there’s been a big shift in recent year over how Premier League clubs actually approach the competition. I don’t think it’s the situation when you don’t want to be in it which has possibly happened in years gone by but now you see that everybody realises that it’s a fantastic occasion to get to a cup final and the Premier League clubs are taking it very seriously." (01/11/07)

Off The Ball

Scores On The Doors

Everton Team News

Its League Cup lottery time again as the Blues travel to Bedfordshire to take on Luton in the last sixteen of a competition we have never won. We will have to try and beat the Hatters without Leighton Baines and probably Mikky Arteta. Bainsey has an ankle injury sustained in the win at Derby at the weekend, whilst Mikky is 50/50 with a calf strain, but Moyesy will probably leave the Spanish magician out to rest with other important matches round the corner.

Tiny and The Grav should both start to get some match hours under their belts, and Moyesy will probably bring back Stubbsey to give Roger a blow after his hectic European and International schedule of late. Up front Everton have selection posers with the Yak, Faddy, Big Vic and the returning Vaughny all fighting for the two slots available. Me thinks Big Vic and Faddy will get the nod, with the latter hoping to repeat his feat of netting against the Hatters as he did in last seasons Carling Cup Comp.

Alan Irvine says: "Obviously, we have drawn Luton and they are the team that are lowest ranked amongst the remaining sides in the competition but they have got a very good record at home and it will prove to be a difficult game, I am sure. Sheffield Wednesday proved to be a difficult game despite their league form at the time and I am sure this will be the same. They will feel they have nothing to lose and it will be a fantastic occasion for their players. Unless we go about the job properly it could prove to be a very difficult game.

The fans are right on top of you which gives the impression of it being a very tight pitch and they will be fired up for the game without a doubt. We will need to do everything right otherwise we will be embarrassed. We beat them 4-0 at Goodison last season but I think it will be tougher. I don't think they are a better team than we played them last time because they were in a good run of form and in a division higher but I expect it to be tough there because their record at home is very good. They have not done well away from home and had this game been at Goodison I would have been a lot more confident." (31/10/07)

Sausages XI To Start: Wessels, Jagielka, Yobo, Stubbs, Valente, Carsley, Neville, Cahill, Gravesen, McFadden, Anichebe

Everton from: Howard, Wessels, Hibbert, Neville, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Stubbs, Valente, Osman, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Gravesen, vd Meyde, Carsley, McFadden, Yakubu, Anichebe, Vaughan.

Fit

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Lavo's Best Bet

* Big Vic is looking more and more like the top notch striker we all hope he would be, he can be backed at 5/1 to open the scoring against Luton. Other than that, you can back Mark Clattenburg at even money to be asked to Stevie G Laaa's Xmas Party as guest of honour. (31/10/07)

About The Opposition

Ex Blue Don Hutchinson will be trying to put one over us, as he leads his Luton team tonight against the Blues. Notable other names in the Hatters line up will be Paul Pescso..., you know the fella' who married that Karen Brady at Birmingham, and Marlon Beresford who will be in the sticks.

Hatters Boss Kevin Blackwell says: "I spoke to Everton's Chief Scout at Derby on Sunday and he was impressed with Luton. He knows our home record is strong, so he knows it will be a tough game and it may force David Moyes to play a strong squad. Everton won at Derby very comfortably and it was maybe a little easier then David would have expected. I would have liked it to have been a bit more of a tougher game, but at the end of the day this is a cup game at Kenilworth Road. Cup games at Luton have been magic so far this season. Anybody who has been to one this season would have gone away exhilarated, so lets hope we can do that again tonight." (31/10/07)

Luton From: Dibble, Foster, Stein (B), Stein (M), Hill, Preece, Rioch, sorry can't think of any others.

Last Season v Luton in The Carling Cup

Match Reports 2007/2008

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