Everton v FC Krasnodar: Europa League – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2014/dec/11/everton-v-fc-krasnodar-europa-league-live

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9.56pm GMT21:56

FULL TIME: Everton 0-1 Krasnodar

Barry hoicks a long free kick into the Russian box. Granqvist heads clear. And that’s that. A brave performance by Everton’s youngsters. Their first defeat in Europe this season, but it matters not: they advance to the knockout stage as group winners, and will be seeded in Monday’s draw. The experimental noodling didn’t really go anywhere, but then jazz doesn’t have to.

Updated at 9.59pm GMT

9.54pm GMT21:54

90 min +1: Whoosh! There goes that first added minute.

9.53pm GMT21:53

90 min: Browning is replaced by right back Gethin Jones. And Joaozinho is swapped for a Krasnodar kid of their own, Aleksandr Ageev.

9.51pm GMT21:51

88 min: Everton are seeing a lot of the ball, but doing very little with it. Nobody minds. This doesn’t matter. Meanwhile the experimental introduction of Long has caused hep jazz cat ‘Django’ Donnacha Kavanagh (9 mins) to lose himself in chin-stroking be-bop bliss. “At last, the sound engineer has had enough. Watch the guitar hero win it.”

9.49pm GMT21:49

85 min: A lull. And then Long works a little space down the left, but his low cross is easily claimed by Sinitsin.

9.44pm GMT21:44

82 min: Long immediately zips off down the left wing, panicking Sigurdsson into a ludicrous sliding tackle. The young striker’s dumped into the advertising hoardings. He’ll be OK, but the Krasnodar full back is going into the book. The free kick’s whipped in high from the left, allowing Kone to slap a header over the bar from eight yards. A rare chance spurned.

9.43pm GMT21:43

80 min: Conor McAleny, who has looked very decent tonight, is replaced by striker Chris Long.

9.42pm GMT21:42

79 min: Krasnodar’s turn to string a few pretty passes together. They’re going nowhere in particular, but pushing Everton back, and that clock’s only ticking in one direction.

9.40pm GMT21:40

77 min: Browning and Oviedo work well down the right wing, the latter backheeling for the former to wing a deep cross towards Kone. The striker, six yards out, attempts to control, but only runs the ball out of play on the left. In fairness, close control comes at a premium now, because it’s truly hammering it down in Liverpool right now.

9.37pm GMT21:37

74 min: The goalscorer Laborde is replaced by Burmistrov.

9.37pm GMT21:37

73 min: What a farce. Joaozinho is found in acres down the left. He’s all alone in the box, with only Robles to beat. But he fannies around, then instead of taking a pop, rolls the ball to the right for Izmailov, who nudges the ball to the right, then attempts to thread a shot through a thicket of confused Evertonians and into the bottom left. The effort squirms wide left. That should have sealed victory for the Russians. That was a nonsense.

9.33pm GMT21:33

70 min: A couple of Krasnodar corners come to naught. “I’m at a stage adaptation of It’s A Wonderful Life in er... Penge,” reports Gary Naylor. “It’s the interval and George Bailey is in need of rescue. If things carry on like this for Bobby M over Christmas, maybe Clarence can pop into Goodison and effect another saving of a soul.” Nice idea, but I’m not sure the cynics who populate the world of football believe in fairy tales such as “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings”. Every time a referee whistles, a Premier League manager bristles? I’m sorry. But you can hardly expect me to improve on the work of Frank Capra at the best of times, never mind while I’m in the middle of a Europa League MBM.

9.32pm GMT21:32

68 min: And Kone nearly provides it, embarking on a high-speed slalom down the inside-left channel, breaking into the box, and nearly finding young Dowell with a pull back. For a second he had the option to go over Petrov’s clumsy sliding challenge, but stayed honest. He couldn’t quite work the opening for a shot, which was the big shame.

9.30pm GMT21:30

67 min: Garbutt finds a bit of space down the left and wheechs a shot down Sinitsin’s throat from the edge of the box. Everton have enjoyed themselves down this flank since the restart. You could see a goal coming from this wing.

Updated at 9.40pm GMT

9.27pm GMT21:27

64 min: Oviedo curls a pass down the right to find Dowell on the right-hand edge of the D. The young lad shoots, but his effort is blocked out for a corner by Sigurdsson. Sinitsin punches Garbutt’s corner towards the halfway line, no half measures.

9.26pm GMT21:26

63 min: Granqvist loops a ball down the inside-left to release Kaleshin into the area. He’s got a chance to shoot, ahead of Oviedo, albeit from a tight angle. But he trips over his own feet. Everton were fortunate there.

9.25pm GMT21:25

61 min: Wanderson wangs the resulting free kick, 25 yards out in a central position, many miles over the bar. Three rugby points. That is ludicrous. Miles over! What a waste.

9.23pm GMT21:23

60 min: Pienaar is booked for a clumsy skittle on Pereyra, who was coming at Everton a mere 30 seconds after sending a shot whistling past the left-hand post.

9.21pm GMT21:21

57 min: Garbutt teases a lovely ball into the Krasnodar box from the left, but Oviedo fails to get enough purchase on his shot. This young Everton side are knocking it around in the trademark Martinezesque style, if nothing else.

9.18pm GMT21:18

54 min: McAleny is involved again, sending Dowell into space down the left. The young winger’s cross is behind Kone, but clanks off the shins of Oviedo, 12 yards out centrally. Oviedo holds his head in his hands, screaming ostentatiously. He knows he should have done better. A controlled shot, at least.

9.17pm GMT21:17

52 min: McAleny, who has looked the business at times this evening, glides in from the left, dips his hip, and skelps a shot straight at Sinitsin from the edge of the box. Decent work. “I clicked on that link for ‘Great Expectations’. It wasn’t what I hoped it would be. Boom!” Scat’s Matt Dony there, contributing a few polyrhythms to the piece.

9.14pm GMT21:14

50 min: Kone turns sharply, just to the right of the Everton D, steps into the box, and absolutely batters a rising effort towards the top right. Sinitsin, who has looked impressive so far this evening, parries with purpose.

9.13pm GMT21:13

49 min: Laborde should score his and Krasnodar’s second, bursting free into the Everton box down the right. But he shoots straight at Robles, who nevertheless smothers well. Pereyra attempts to float a chip home from 30 yards, but that’s easy pickings for the keeper.

9.12pm GMT21:12

48 min: A slow start to the half by Everton. But now they win a free kick down the left. Garbutt whips it into the area. Not a bad delivery, but nobody takes a chance to attack the ball. Sinitsin claims.

9.10pm GMT21:10

And we're off again!

No changes. Krasnodar set the ball rolling, which means we can piece together the start of the match. The kick off, as not transmitted by ITV4, would have been Everton’s. “Not to be the stereotypical ugly American, but if there is a more Brazilian name than Joaozinho out there, I’d like to know it,” opines Daniel Stauss. “Off to clean my guns with my obese fingers now.” You could be right. Edson Arantes do Nascimento? Manuel Francisco dos Santos? Alan Carvalho of Red Bull Salzburg?

8.54pm GMT20:54

Half-time experimental entertainment:

8.53pm GMT20:53

HALF TIME: Everton 0-1 Krasnodar

A team who play together every week leads an experimental XI full of kids. No huge surprises. No drama, either. Back in 15! You too, no? Ah go on. It’s strangely agreeable, this. Football not so much as jazz, but as easy listening.

8.51pm GMT20:51

43 min: Kone’s arm crunches into Kaleshin’s face. Just the yellow card. Across Stanley Park, Lazar Markovic will be twanging an eyebrow up and down like billy-o.

Updated at 9.14pm GMT

8.49pm GMT20:49

41 min: Kone bustles with purpose down the inside right, making something out of nothing to set Everton on the attack. He feeds McAleny on the run down the right. McAleny has two goes at finding someone with a cross, but can’t quite manage it. McAleny’s name sounds lovely in commentary. That lovely rhythm. A monicker to roll around the tongue, like a ball of malt whisky, like Makelele, or Tshabalala. People like to say salsa.

8.46pm GMT20:46

40 min: Pienaar is lucky to escape a booking for a thunderous challenge on Kaleshin.

8.44pm GMT20:44

38 min: Joaozinho pitching-wedges a lovely cross into the Everton box from the left. Wanderson is inches away from rising and connecting with a header, ten yards out. A feeling that one would have crashed into the net, for the want of those inches. Wanderson was shaped to hammer that one goalwards.

8.42pm GMT20:42

36 min: Laborde shoulder-charges Garbutt to the floor. Sportingly, he goes over to help the young man up as he slides across the greasy Goodison turf on his nipples. That early assault by Granqvist on Atsu apart, this hasn’t exactly been Brazil versus Hungary 1954.

8.41pm GMT20:41

34 min: Another corner for Everton down the left. And once again, Alcaraz towers over everyone else to win the header. But again it’s off target. Goodison very quiet right now.

8.39pm GMT20:39

32 min: McAleny goes on a dance down the inside-right channel, eventually sending a dribbler towards the bottom left from 20 yards. It worries Sinitsin nonetheless. The keeper considers turning the ball round the post, before thinking better of it. Good decision, as the ball apologetically trundles past the woodwork.

8.37pm GMT20:37

GOAL! Everton 0-1 Krasnodar (Laborde 30)

Patient play by Krasnodar, who triangulate awhile down the left wing. Suddenly a ball’s flashed down the channel, releasing Laborde into the box. He tries to round Robles on the outside, but can’t manage it, pushed wide left. No worries! As Robles jogs back to his line, Laborde turns and whips a first-time shot into the bottom-left, on the keeper’s inside. Initially very good keeping, and then very bad keeping. A mixed bag for Robles.

Updated at 8.46pm GMT

8.34pm GMT20:34

28 min: Wanderson attempts to burst into space down the Krasnodar left on two occasions, but each time runs into a blue wall. I’ll level with you, it’s not brilliant entertainment, this. In fairness, one can hardly expect this Everton selection to immediately start pinging it around like Real Madrid circa 1960, and it is tipping down in stair rods to boot.

8.32pm GMT20:32

25 min: Laborde, to the right of the Everton D, has a look for the top right. The ball flicks off an Everton shirt for a corner. Granqvist makes a nuisance of himself at the near post, but can only hoick the ball out for a goal kick. “How is it I turn out for my team every Sunday morning, straight out of the car, mild hangover, and take to the pitch, play a ‘blinder’ for 90 mins and walk off, sound as a pound?” wonders Chris Lawlor, a man one vowel shy of a Liverpudlian legend. “These guys don’t play from week to week, come onto a pristine pitch and pull something or other within five mins?! They wouldn’t last three mins at the municipal park on Sunday morning. Soft arses.” A refreshingly old-school attitude, this, and one approved by this MBM. They should wear shinpads the size of novels, knock back large brandies before taking the field, and suck down restorative half-time cigarettes. Filterless. I belong in 1947.

8.27pm GMT20:27

21 min: Garbutt busies himself down the left, bursting through a gap and reaching the byline. His pull back doesn’t find a blue shirt, but the ball eventually works its way to Pienaar, 25 yards out. Pienaar takes a whack towards the bottom right. Sinitsin opts to punch it clear as he slides along the turf. A good, if unconventional, save.

8.26pm GMT20:26

20 min: A long pause as Robels gets large wads of cotton wool stuffed up each nostril to stem blood drawn by that Wanderson shot. After a change of shirt, he’s fine to continue. This isn’t exactly high-octane stuff, I’m not selling you short here.

8.22pm GMT20:22

16 min: Everton’s entire defence goes AWOL. Wanderson tears clear down the right from a deep position, enters the area, and attempts to blast into the top right from a tight angle. Robles is guarding his near post well, and parries around it. The resulting set piece ends in nix. Well, this has certainly picked up!

8.21pm GMT20:21

15 min: There is now! Dowell gets involved in the middle of the park and slides a ball down the inside-right channel for Kone, who launches a heatseeker towards the top left from 25 yards. He’s creamed that one! But Sinitsin is behind it all the way, and turns the ball out for a corner which comes to naught.

8.19pm GMT20:19

14 min: Not a whole load going on, it has to be said.

8.17pm GMT20:17

11 min: Kieran Dowell, a 17-year-old winger, comes on in Atsu’s stead.

Updated at 8.30pm GMT

8.17pm GMT20:17

10 min: Before Everton can make a change for the stricken Atsu, they win a corner down the left. From it, Alcaraz rises ten yards out, and plants a header inches wide of the right-hand post. Magnificent effort.

8.15pm GMT20:15

9 min: Atsu has hobbled off. No change yet, though. “If I was Bobby Martinez, I’d get Long on ASAP,” suggests Donnacha Kavanagh. “He’s going to need some guitar in there to balance the keys/brass.” Oh but we’re going out there tonight, baby. Out there. The normal rules don’t apply in improv. Throw away the dots.

Updated at 8.19pm GMT

8.13pm GMT20:13

7 min: Atsu hares after a long ball down the right wing. He’s not upended by a hooligan this time, but he does appear to have pulled a hamstring. He’s holding the back of his leg and grimacing a lot.

8.11pm GMT20:11

5 min: It’s tipping down in north Liverpool. The lights have yet to fuse.

8.10pm GMT20:10

3 min: Not much of an atmosphere at Goodison. It’s almost as though nothing’s riding on this. “You forgot to mention Scottish ‘giants’ Celtic in your list of Europa hopefuls,” writes Simon McMahon. “I’m told that their new central defensive pairing of Lemon Jefferson and Willie McTell played pretty well tonight.”

8.09pm GMT20:09

And we're off!

No idea who kicked off, because ITV4 were covering the Besiktas-Spurs farce, and the lights have gone out twice over there. It’s still going on! Good old Uefa, and their bullshit scheduling. Anyway, at shimmering, shiny, well-lit Goodison, we arrive at the 90-second mark, just in time to see Granqvist booked for scything down Atsu as the Everton man looks to burst down the right. Truly, the only way is up.

7.58pm GMT19:58

The teamsheets

Experimental Everton: Robles (drums), Browning (double bass), Alcaraz (clarinet), Barry (tuba), Garbutt (alto saxophone), Atsu (tenor saxophone), Oviedo (piano), Ledson (organ), Pienaar (trumpet), McAleny (soprano saxophone), Kone (percussion).Subs: Grant (trombone), Long (guitar), Kenny (electric piano), Griffiths (vibraphone), Williams (electric bass), Jones (tabla), Dowell (scat vocals).

Krasnodar: Sinitsyn, Petrov, Sigurdsson, Granqvist, Kaleshin, Laborde, Izmailov, Gazinskiy, Pereyra, Joaozinho, Wanderson.Subs: Burmistrov, Novak, Kavlinov, Kuzmichev, Ageev, Nesterenko, Starkov.

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania).

Everton hand a debut to 17-year-old midfielder Ryan Ledson, and also give first senior starts to striker Conor McAleny and defender Tyias Browning. Arouna Kone pulls on a blue shirt for the first time in a year, as he returns from a long-term knee injury.

7.05pm GMT19:05

So Everton are already through to the Round of 32 as group winners, regardless of what happens here tonight against Krasnodar, who are already out. But don’t close that browser! For fascination can still come your way! Roberto Martinez has promised to name an “experimental” side. Ninety-odd minutes of avant-garde exploration, it’s like Big Fun by Miles Davis, only in football form.

And how about this to whet the appetite? Martinez has pledged to field “a couple of youngsters that are really exciting. I don’t want to mention their names just yet. It’s exciting for us as a club to show another two diamonds of our development system, to show the good work being done in a fantastic environment.” Defender Tyias Browning (20), full-back Luke Garbutt (21) and

electric pianist Herbie Hancock (29)

striker Conor McAleny (22) are all expected to feature.

But while breaking in fresh talent is item #1 on Martinez’s agenda, a positive result wouldn’t be sniffed at either. Everton have been highly impressive at home in Europe this season, beating Wolfsburg 4-1 and Lille 3-0. A third comprehensive victory would send out a loud message across the continent, establishing Everton as one of the big favourites to lift the cup in Warsaw come May, as they look to win their first European prize since 1985 . Only Napoli, Tottenham , Roma and [squints eyes, carefully adjusts glasses, adopts sceptical look] Liverpool are currently ahead of the Toffees in the current betting market, with the likes of Internazionale, Sevilla, Fiorentina, Villarreal and Zenit already trailing in their wake. An exciting performance here tonight, whoever stars, will do their already burgeoning continental reputation no harm whatsoever. It’s on!

Kick off: 8.05pm at Goodison, 11.05pm back in the (former) USSR.