It was a drizzly evening in Wrexham for the first North-Walian, Merseyside Mini-Derby - if you get my drift. The conditions didn't make for a great game, with many episodes of fally over! Unfortunately the result wasn't a good one either. Everton took their first victory of the season with a 1-0 result which overall they probably just about deserved.
The early minutes were even if a bit scrappy. The first attempt on goal was an audacious 40 yard volley from Potter which he struck well, but straight at a defender half way between him and the goal. Raven and O'Donnell paired together in central defence looked very strong early on & didn't do too much wrong all night.
The first decent move came on 10 minutes when the quietly impressive Peltier linked well with Smyth but his cross failed to beat the first man. The play was intermitantly scrappy and clbutty with the two young teams interchaning excellently at times and awfully at other. on 14 minutes Warnock slid in late on Stevie G's cousin Anthony (Also Gerrard) and was lucky not to be booked.
From the restart Zack Whitbread cleared high and handsome over the stand. There were a few half chances, weak shots from distance with Mellor showing for Liverpool and Seargeant having a pop for Everton but nothing close to a goal.
On 22 minutes Mellor was cautioned for persistant infringement. It should have been the other way around as the referee was giving everything against Mellor. He strutted off in his very scouse fashion, not happy at all!
SAF TELLS ASBO KID TO NO 1941On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 23:00:00 +0100, " + Padre Ted XVIII - V +" cacked this f***in treat out! mbutt meet on the nearest motorway and a feight would proove otherwise...are yer...
The diminutive james Harris was showing well for Everton and had a shot from fully 35 yards just rise to much and go over the bar. Liverpool attacked and soon found Guthrie in space on the right, he crossed and a deft flick by Mellor faded past the the post.
Mannix, who was fairly anonomous most of the night, headed a bouncing ball behind for an Everton corner, it was heart in mouths though and I think it could really have gone anywhere. Nearing the forty minute mark Guthrie and Smyth linked up twice in as many minutes down the right and created two very good crosses, but unfortunately nobody was on the end of either.
In injury time Peltier put in an excvellent cross which Mellor connected with. To use a clichZ he caught it too well and it went straight into the keepers hands.
I spent half time listening to kids working out how many houses you could fit on The Racecourse - which is what seems will happen to the ground come the summer. Very bizarre.
Potter who seemed strangely reluctant to use Guthrie all night shot when a pbutt would have seen Guthrie in a great position. The shot was harmless. Five minutes in to the second half and Liverpool were dominating this time it was the left flank providing the crosses both Warnock and Whitbread whipping in wonderful walls from the wing (okay, okay!!!). Again - there was no end result. I began to think we'd pay!
Neil Mellor nearly stupidly got himself sent off for a blatant barge . If he hadn't been booked already he would surely have seen yellow. Eddy Bosnar the exotically ttile Everton Centre back had a decent effort from a freekick which went just wide, it was a warning Liverpool did not heed.
After bringing on Wilkie to replace the perplaxingly underused Guthrie on the hour mark Liverpool could have taken the lead themselves. Mellor sent Smyth through and he was one on one with the keeper, but a combination of excellent defending from Gerrard and indecisive finishing from Smyth saw a golden opportunity pbutt by.
A couple of minutes later and they were made to rue the Miss. Bosnar again had a freekick just over twenty yards out. He drove it either straight through or under the wall and it went low to the keepers left and nestled in the botton corner. Mellor had a chance to equalise just two minutes later, but he was pressurised by the outcoming keeper and the defender chasing him back and the ball dropped wide.
The game was much more open now but there were still not that many open chances. Luzi saved at the feet of Chadwick fairly comfortably and the now hugely excited Bosnar had a shot from forty five yards and missed by a similar distance.
Potter had another poor attempt from distance and I just had that feeling we weren't going to score today. In fact it was Everton who came closest when Wilson hit a cross shot which could have took a deflection and gone anywhere but managed to bypbutt everyone.
The time added on board came up displaying "3" and I was sat close enough to Alan Moyes to hear him exclaim "Threeeeee!". But it was still no good. We were out worked for most of the second half and Everton were worthy winners.
For Man of the Match I would again nominate O'Donell. He was fast and powerful and has a very good first touch for a defender. Potter may have actually played slightly better, but he frustrates me because in a game of two young sides I feel that he should be bossing the game more and controlling the pace. The same could be said for Warnock.
