Everton's name is surely not only on the Cup, the engraver must have finished
his work after this.
A fifth round battle ended with proud Preston suffering a cruel fate, dumped
out and wondering how.
Rarely has there been such a travesty of justice. The Second Division side had
battled for their lives, and frightened Everton out of theirs.
Everton were so close to becoming yet another Premiership scalp to fall to a
lower division side.
The Goodison Park club will be in the quarter final draw for the second
successive year, but only after second half goals from Dave Unsworth - his third
in the Cup this season - and an injury time second from substitute Joe-Max
Moore.
Preston's heart was broken. They had given so much, played so well and few
would have begrudged them a replay.
So Everton's name is on the Cup. In a week that has seen their takeover final
completed with Bill Kenwright fulfulling his boyhood dream to own the club he
has supported from the cradle, the Merseysiders gave him another taste of
fantasy with a place in the last eight.
For so long Preston had been magnificent, terrorising Everton at every step.
But they didn't take the chances that came their way, and Everton gratefully
grabbed theirs in a match when they were continually embarrassed.
Everton surely could have expected nothing less than the spirit and energy of
a Preston side who gave them a very uncomfortable examination.
It was wild and windy, but the Second Division promotion chasers blew Everton
off course from the start. And it wasn't just all about passion, Preston had
conviction and skill to go with their desire.
Unsworth, thrust into midfield in place of John Collins, and Don Hutchison
were rattled and ruffled by Sean Gregan and Mark Rankine in midfield while the
double act of former Manchester United youngsters Jon Macken and Mike Appleton
dished out a hounding that left David Weir and Richard Gough exasperated.
Everton's early chances were few, but a 15th-minute break by Francis Jeffers,
running clear onto a Kevin Campbell flick, ended with him rounding 'keeper Teuvo
Moilanen and seeing Michael Jackson kick his angled effort off the line.
But that was a rarity in a barrage of Preston pace and pressure. Macken's fine
run past Michael Ball ended with a cross that Appleton headed inches over, and
then Macken fired a left footer that Thomas Myhre struggled to hold after a
flowing six-man move.
Everton were unsteady and harrassed, and Gough almost presented Icelandic star
Bjarki Gunnlaugsson with a goal with a backheader under little pressure that put
the striker clear.
Weir got in a brave saving tackle, but when Appleton fired the ball back into
a defence in disarray, Gunnlaugsson failed to connect when unmarked six yards
out.
Campbell and Unsworth, both from distance, tried to break the hold Preston had
on the game and the Premiership side finished the first half having been given a
chasing they had not enjoyed one bit.
Unsworth had been booked for a bad foul on Rankine, and Campbell got away with
a slashing lunge at Graham Alexander right in front of the massed Preston
ranks.
Referee Mike Riley had shown plenty of leniency, another example of an
official now letting players get away with tackles that would have brought
instant yellow cards a few weeks back.
Preston's confidence and refusal to be overawed by supposed better players was
just as evident after the break.
Macken planted a six-yard line free header from Rankine's chip straight into a
relieved Myhre's chest and it was Macken again with an almost identical effort
on the hour that saw the Norwegian 'keeper save again.
Still they swept forward at every opportunity, but Everton were at least
getting into the game by now - at long last - and somehow Jeffers managed to
sidefoot wide from 10 yards after Nicky Barmby's break down the right, a chance
he should have buried.
A team can hardly have deserved a lead less than when Everton stole in front
after 64 minutes. Hutchison went down on the edge of the box under a challenge
by Rob Edwards with Preston to a man claiming a dive.
They were incensed, Rankine in particular who was closest. And the punishment
was cruel and severe. Unsworth stepped up to send a swerving left footed
freekick crashing past Moilanen.
Rankine, no doubt still full of injustice, lost his head minutes after the
re-start and was booked for swinging an elbow at Gough.
But Preston pulled themselves together and were soon back at Everton's
throats.
Jeffers saw a 20-yard curler tipped over by Moilanen, but it was still Everton
who were the side filled with fear whenever Preston broke, their fans a
collective bundle of nerves right to the end.
Only really when Preston's legs began to tire, their persistence and courage
finally waning, did Everton breakthrough again.
Barmby forced his way through, Campbell had a shot charged down and substitute
Joe-Max Moore struck from close range in the second minute of injury time.
Moore had done the same trick in the last seconds of the league draw with
Spurs a fortnight ago.
It gave Everton a scoreline they just did not deserve and Preston a defeat
that will be so hard to take.
They were applauded off by relieved Everton fans, and how they deserved it.
Teams
Everton: Myhre, Ball, Gough, Unsworth, Weir, Dunne,
Pembridge (Cadamarteri 60), Hutchison, Barmby, Campbell, Jeffers (Moore 87).
Subs Not Used: Watson, Gemmill, Simonsen.
Booked: Unsworth.
Goals: Unsworth 64, Moore 90.
Preston: Moilanen, Edwards, Jackson, Murdock, Alexander,
Eyres (Cartwright 66), Gregan, Rankine, Appleton (Basham 79),
Macken, Gunnlaugsson, Cartwright (McKenna 83).
Subs Not Used: Lucas, Kidd.
Booked: Rankine.
Att: 37,486.
Ref: M Riley (Leeds).
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