Reserves

Everton 3 Blackburn 0 Tuesday 22 October 2001

@ The AutoQuest Stadium, Widnes Att: 645.

Cada & Chada Star for Toffees

Everton: Simonsen, Hibbert, Cleland, Stubbs, Unsworth, Gemmill, Cadamarteri, Gascoigne, Chadwick, Moore, McLeod.

Subs : Valentine, Eaton, Clarke for Gemmill (71m), Pilkington for Gascoigne (80m), Curran for Chadwick (57m).

Scorers: Chadwick (17'), McLeod (33'), Cadamarteri (65').

Blackburn Rovers: Kelly, Curtis, Howson, Hignett, Greer, Kenna, Mahon, Dunning, Ostenstad, Bent, O'Brien

Both teams had players with first team experience on view. Everton had the edge in that department & it showed as we won with ease. Danny ripped the back out the full back most of the match, & got in a fair amount of good crosses. The rest of the midfield were knocking the ball about well with Gazza & Gemmill providing the class, with Kevin McLeod doing all the running. At the back Alan Stubbs had a quiet game, although he showed he can play in a back 4. Everton nearly took the lead in the opening minutes when Danny started raced down the wing & put over a perfect cross, but Nic Chadwick's header was tipped over the bar by Kelly. We took the lead after 17 minutes when Chadwick made no mistake with a coolly placed shot, after good play by Gazza, Gemmill, & Max Moore. Steve Simmo did all that was asked of him during the night. Again he proved that on the half dozen times we've seen him he is good enough. He proved that again when he saved a certain goal when he kept out a header from Bent. Everton got a second when Man of the Match, Danny again whizzed past his marker, & hit a cross to the far post, where the incoming McLeod volleyed home giving Kelly no chance.

Half-time: Everton 2, Blackburn 0.

The second half wasn't as lively as the first. Everton were still in command, & Scott Gemmill tried a shot, which just missed the target. Everton killed the game off when, Danny got the goal his performance deserved & obviously impressed the watching scouts. Tony Hibbert drilled a lovely ball through to him he jinked past the defender, & bent a curly wurly of a shot past Kelly via the post. With the game over, we might as well have gone home, as there wasn't much more to report, besides the substitutions. All the players did well, with Hibbert, Chadwick, McLeod & of course Cadamarteri.

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