EVERTON opened their pre-season trip Down Under with a win over Aussie Champions Sydney.
The Toffees, wearing their new lightening pink away strip, produced a comfortable performance in front of a mixed crowd of Sydney fans, travelling bluenoses and ex-pat scousers.
David Moyes gave a debut to new signing 20-year-old Maguye Gueye, and the £1m buy from Strasbourg showed flashes of potential which bode well for the coming season. Local pundits had speculated whether Everton would rack-up a cricket score at the impressive ANZ arena, but instead Sydney provided competitive opposition during an entertaining run-out.
There were touches of home for the ex-pats and visiting Merseysiders; Z-Cars was played as the teams ran out, Grand Old Team blared out after the final whistle, and one youngster invaded the pitch as the teams left.
Victor Anichebe’s 46th minute strike was the only goal of the encounter, but both teams shared some good chances along with a friendly spirit.
The game took place against the backdrop of Australia’s most memorable game, the 2006 World Cup qualifying play off against Uruguay here in 2005 which the Socceroos won dramatically on penalties.
With six minutes gone, James Vaughan was slipped in by Leon Osman, and the striker hit a crisp effort which Sydney keeper Ivan Necevski saved at the second attempt Soon Everton settled into their stride, and started to dominate possession and display the better passing.
Leighton Baines dropped his shoulder, cut inside and fired an effort straight at Necevski. Then moments later Jack Rodwell popped up on the right and dazzled left-back Shannon Cole, before curling an effort narrowly over.
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov will not recall being tackled by 38-year-old Dwight Yorke fondly, the ex Manchester United man present on his old stomping ground.
Yorke played only one season with Sydney in the A-League but proved immensely popular here, and his cameo undoubtedly helped promote the game.
With Yorke using the ball intelligently from a deep midfield role, Sydney were holding their own and useful opposition.
Having won all of their three pre-season games so far, they threatened to take the lead on half an hour again when Socceroo Alex Brosque fired a vicious effort at Turner from 10 yards after nice build-up play.
Then it was the Blues turn to threaten, Baines finding Anichebe with a pin-point pass and the big Nigerian held his marker off and spun around to almost open the scoring. Half time entertainment was an exhibition match featuring the excellent youth side of local semi-pro club the Marconi Stallions.
Watching from a comfortable seat in one of the boxes was 82-year-old Ron Lord. Lord was the New South Wales goalkeeper when Everton last toured Down Under in 1964, and did well to only concede five goals against a side featuring the likes of Alex Young, and Roy Vernon.
