Another magical night under the lights at Goodison…..errrrr….Hill Dickinson! The winner of the match knew that they would face Fleetwood Town in the quarter finals. It was the first match of a double header as the teams were scheduled to meet again in five days in Premier League action.
Match Report
Everton started the match on the front foot, pressing high and creating an early chance as Dewsbury-Hall saw his shot deflected wide, followed by a penalty appeal when Barry went down under a shirt pull from Burn.
Newcastle gradually took control of possession, threatening through Harvey Barnes and Joe Willock. Jordan Pickford was forced into several sharp saves and was vocal in demanding better from his defense after a series of untidy errors gave the visitors momentum.
As the Everton supporters grew restless, the home side began to find their rhythm through energetic link-up play involving George, Mykolenko, and Dibling. After Barry won back possession deep in Newcastle’s half to energize the crowd, Everton made their breakthrough. Tyrique George forced a crucial turnover high up the pitch, allowing Hayden Hackney to set up James Garner, who drilled a precise finish into the far corner for his first goal of the season.
Newcastle pushed hard for an immediate equalizer, with Barnes sending a effort wide and the visitors vehemently appealing for fouls as Willock, Osula, and Barnes all went down in quick succession trying to draw a foul. The referee let play continue.
When Dewsbury-Hall drove Everton forward he rode a heavy challenge and the referee played advantage which allowed Dewsbury-Hall to put the ball to Barry. The striker picked up the loose ball in the corner and picked out the onrushing Hayden Hackney, who volleyed clinically into the near corner to double the lead with his first Everton goal. The Toffees comfortably saw out two minutes of stoppage time to head into the dressing room with a deserved two-goal cushion, serenaded by enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd.
David Moyes chose to keep his side unchanged after the break, relying on a solid defensive baseline that neutralized Newcastle’s attempts to establish rhythm early in the second half. Despite a lively start from Newcastle’s three half-time substitutes—Joelinton, Yoane Wissa, and Anthony Elanga—Everton’s defensive structure, anchored by a superb performance from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, effectively thwarted the visitors’ opening chances.
Pickford proved to be a decisive presence in goal, coming out to deny Wissa and making three consecutive top-class saves during Newcastle’s heaviest period of pressure. On the attacking end, Everton demonstrated clinical efficiency on the counter. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall carried the ball forward into open space before finding an unmarked Thierno Barry in the box. The young striker displayed great composure to control the pass and place a finish directly into the top corner, extending Everton’s lead to three goals and setting off celebrations among the home supporters.
As Newcastle pushed desperately to get back into the match, physical tensions began to boil over in the latter stages. A collision between Fabian Schär and Pickford led to a heated confrontation with Vitaliy Mykolenko, drawing yellow cards for both players. Newcastle eventually broke through when Dan Burn headed home from a late cross into the box. However, a post-goal scuffle ensued when Pickford prevented Burn from retrieving the match ball quickly, leading to additional cautions for Burn, James Tarkowski, and Joelinton during a heated climax.
Moyes managed the closing minutes with a series of defensive substitutions, introducing Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Johnson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Christian Nørgaard to refresh his side and protect the advantage. Newcastle continued to throw everything forward through three minutes of added time, but Elanga’s late driving shot was again saved by Pickford. The referee’s final whistle sealed a hard-fought win for Everton, capping off an intense second half and confirming their place in the quarter final against Fleetwood Town.
Everton’s Man of the Match
Hayden Hackney – It was another solid defensive performance from James Tarkowski, but it must be said that Hayden Hackney was given a chance and he took it. An assist on the Garner goal and his first goal in royal blue was just the tip of the iceberg for the midfielder who ended the match with 38 touches, 6 defensive contributions, and a heat map that covered the entire match before he was taken off after his yellow card.
Instant Reaction
An impressive win for Everton as they progress to the quarter finals for a match against Fleetwood Town who had knocked out Arsenal last night. Tonight, it was handbrakes off for the boys in blue and they responded with three goals. Although Newcastle was useless going forward, we were solid and denied any real chances. You wonder why Moyes doesn’t allow his team to do the same thing when they are away from home or against one of the bigger teams. Take a chance, David!
It also has to be said that it was great to see Moyes picking a strong side with the inclusion of Dibling, George and Hackney. The young blues were not out of their depth and gave a good account of themselves with Hackney being the standout. Another game under the belt for O’Brien and Tarkowski in the absence of Branthwaite was another positive one. The selection of O’Brien ahead of Keane is a positive one and another solid defensive showing solidified the back line.
The shameless diving of the Newcastle players earlier in the match was an embarrassment for anyone who appreciates the beautiful game. I think that the embarrassment was mostly felt by the travelling Geordies. The best part was the fact that the referee, Farai Hallam, did an excellent job keeping the game moving and not allowing the diving to continue. As a referee myself, I am loving the Carabao Cup because it is allowing the referees to do their job and today that showed that VAR can be helpful but referees do a better job when they are empowered to take control. More of this please!
