Apostolos Vellios scores against Morecambe for Everton FC
EVERTON FC were charitable allowing Morecambe player-manager Jim Bentley to score a consolation goal with the last kick of his career in his testimonial – but for the previous 89 minutes and 30 seconds, David Moyes’ young side were utterly ruthless at the Globe Arena.
Even when the Shrimps boss, a lifelong Blue who had both sides run out to ‘Z-Cars’ on his big day, was played through to supposedly roll the ball into the net unchallenged, one young Everton player refused to relent so easily.
Bentley, 36, who retired from playing after the game, was teed-up for his special moment by Tony Hibbert, with the long-serving Everton defender obviously feeling in charitable mood having never scored a senior goal himself and with his own testimonial against AEK Athens at Goodison Park looming on the horizon next month.
Whether the Greeks will be bearing any such gifts for Hibbo remains to be seen but on this occasion, Everton’s rookie keeper Mateusz Taudal, supposedly expected to stand as still as the Eric Morecambe statue by the resort’s seafront and gift Bentley his goal, had other ideas.
The 17-year-old Pole, eager to maintain his clean sheet, almost spoiled the party for the Morecambe faithful by saving Bentley’s initial effort but thankfully for the Allerton man, whose sons Jack and Max were mascots, the ball was quickly knocked back to his feet and he finished with a tap-in from point-blank range as referee Jeremy Simpson called time on proceedings.
While the game was all about honouring their stalwart centre-half and now manager for the home side, for Everton this was a chance for Moyes’ youngsters to impress and along with England international Jack Rodwell successfully coming through 90 minutes on his return from injury and getting himself on the scoresheet, a major plus point was the performance of his central midfield partner Francisco Junior.
The diminutive Portuguese under-21 international, born in the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau, fitted in delightfully on his senior Everton bow.
Junior, 20, arrived at Goodison Park in February as a free agent after being released by Manchester City but is yet to figure for the Blues in a Premier League match.
But on this performance it looks like we just might be seeing more of him in the months ahead. There’s certainly plenty of competition for places in the Everton midfield engine room when Moyes has all his options available but Junior showed his potential with a lively display which included some clever passing and of course his wonderful seventh-minute goal which put the Blues on their way to a comfortable victory.
Junior was ruthlessly clinical with the first chance of the game as following a scramble in the area, Will Haining’s clearance fell straight to his feet 25 yards from goal only for the youngster to lash a low rocket shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Morecambe threatened the Everton goal sporadically but teenager Taudal, a product of the Polish MSP Szamotuly goalkeeping academy, in between the sticks for the Blues was equal to everything that came his way including a speculative low 20-yard drive from Lewis Alessandra which he tipped around his right-hand post.
Most of the home side’s flurries came down the left flank but the rest of the Blues backline looked solid with Shane Duffy striking up a good understanding with senior pro Sylvain Distin in the heart of defence and 19-year-old Jake Bidwell having benefitted from his loan spell at Brentford last term to produce a strong display at left-back.
Leon Osman is a player who had to bide his time at Everton, being farmed out to lower division sides before finally making his first team breakthrough when almost 23 in 2004, but he now looks part of the furniture at Goodison and against lesser opponents like this, his class really told.
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