Ten-man Everton battled their way into the fifth round of the FA Cup after
having Italian defender Marco Materazzi sent off - their second 10-man man
finish in a week.
On Monday at Aston Villa, Alex Cleland was shown the red card in a 3-0
defeat.
Mind you, Everton are used to such situations. Materazzi's dismissal was his
second and the club's fifth of the season.
Everton have a reputation for amassing cautions - they are approaching 80 now
for the season - but referee Mike Riley must take some responsibility for a game
that was nasty throughout and tottered on the edge of open warfare.
He booked seven players as well as dismissing Materazzi and could and should
have been far more severe with several more.
Sportsmanship vanished in the dying minutes when Everton kicked the ball out
so that star man Cleland could be carried off injured, and Ipswich chose to take
the throw and keep possession.
Two minutes into injury time, Riley disallowed an Ipswich equaliser from
Fabian Wilnis for an infringement few could see - probably a foul on Unsworth in
the build-up - and blew the final whistle seconds later.
Riley was surrounded by his assistants, four policemen and six stewards as he
was escorted from the field.
Everton went off to a standing ovation, while Ipswich were seething, having
seen what they believed was their lifeline snatched from them.
Walter Smith's side had shown heart, character and tremendous team spirit and
survived a second-half bombardment after Materazzi's dismissal.
Materazzi was booked as early as the fourth minute for a crunching foul on
Micky Stockwell, a caution that was to cost him dearly later.
He was lucky to get away with another fierce challenge that grounded David
Johnson minutes later, as Ipswich's neat approach play worried Everton.
A cross from Jamie Clapham found first Stockwell and then Kieron Dyer, both
having shots charged down.
Everton's first real chance came when Tony Grant's long-range shot was beaten
out by Richard Wright, with Manuel Thetis just getting to the ball in time to
hook it away as Nick Barmby raced in for the rebound.
John Oster, playing as a makeshift striker, caused considerable trouble with
his harassing and scurrying, and Ipswich's defenders looked far from happy.
Oster's strike partner Danny Cadamarteri collected a Michael Ball pass 20
yards out after 23 minutes, turned and unleashed a fine drive that Wright held.
The England Under-21 'keeper plunged out to pull down a swirling Don Hutchison
free-kick and then saved an 18-yard volley from the Everton skipper.
After 30 minutes, Mitch Ward sent a cross soaring in from the right, and Ball
rose to plant a header inches wide of the far post.
But four minutes later the first of Riley's debatable decisions came when
Cadamarteri went down under a challenge from Thetis, and the Yorkshire official
booked him for diving.
Riley had spent the entire match the previous week at Spurs opting not to
discipline David Ginola for a string of suspicious penalty box tumbles - what
Cadamarteri was alleged to have done was mild by comparison.
Cadamarteri had twice previously complained about being baulked, and had gone
down under a tackle from Fabian Wilnis earlier, but none had been theatrical.
Everton were furious with the decision, and it inspired them to greater
effort.
After 39 minutes they took the lead. Don Hutchison's cross from the left was
headed against a post by Oster, and Barmby tapped the ball over the line from a
couple of yards.
It was his first senior goal for a year and his first at Goodison Park for 16
months.
Tony Mowbray was then booked a minute later for clattering into Cadamarteri on
the halfway line.
Two minutes after the break, Ball missed a glorious chances from three yards
when he lifted a Cadamarteri cross over the bar.
But after 48 minutes, the game erupted when Materazzi was sent off after a
clash with Johnson.
It looked like Johnson had been fouled and then retaliated by pushing the
Italian defender who went down in a heap.
Referee Riley showed a second yellow and then the red card to Materazzi - who
has already served three suspensions this season - and a yellow to the Ipswich
man.
Everton reacted badly. Ball and David Unsworth were lucky to escape punishment
for a succession of fouls on Johnson.
They were now forced to defend in depth as Ipswich searched for an equaliser,
but they failed to create serious chances.
Everton had two glorious chances to end the contest on the break in the later
stages.
First, Barmby raced down the left, cut into the box and was body-checked by
Mowbray. Somehow Riley decided that wasn't a penalty.
Barmby was so angry, he protested far too long, and was booked for his
troubles.
Then Hutchison put substitute Michael Branch clear, and he should have scored
but dragged his shot inches wide of the far post.
Teams:
Everton: Myhre, Ward, Cleland (O'Kane 88), Materazzi, Unsworth,
Ball, Grant, Hutchison, Barmby, Cadamarteri (Branch 76), Oster.
Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Jevons, Milligan.
Sent Off: Materazzi (48).
Booked: Materazzi, Cadamarteri, Barmby.
Goals: Barmby 39.
Ipswich: Wright, Wilnis, Thetis (Tanner 85), Mowbray, Venus,
Clapham, Dyer, Stockwell (Bramble 79), Holland, Johnson,
Petta (Naylor 46).
Subs Not Used: Bracey, Holster.
Booked: Mowbray, Johnson, Bramble, Thetis.
Att: 28,854
Ref: M Riley (Leeds).
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