Middlesbrough 0 Everton 2
Gerard Deulofeu’s knack of enchanting audiences while dissecting opponents with utterly ruthless incision not only illuminated a dank December Teesside night but propelled Everton into the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Try as they might – and Aitor Karanka’s side strained tried very hard – Championship Middlesbrough could never quite get to grips with either Deulofeu’s exquisite wing play or Romelu Lukaku’s command at centre forward.
Karanka regards his good friend Roberto Martínez as a mentor and role model and, refusing to disappoint, the Everton manager certainly offered Boro a masterclass in technical proficiency and imaginative ambition as goals from Deulofeu and Lukaku – who else? – separated the sides. Demonstrating that it really is possible to combine multiple stepovers with high efficiency creation the former Barcelona prodigy set up Lukaku’s goal in such stunning fashion that Boro never quite recovered.
The game’s quick tempo befitted an occasion when everything seemed amplified. A ground accustomed to housing its share of empty seats for Championship games was packed to capacity, the decibel count heightened appreciably and the evening felt electrified by a collective adrenaline surge.
Two of the most detached individuals inside the Riverside were probably to be found in the technical areas. While Martínez had balanced his desire to win this cup against the need to prevent key performers burning out by making three changes, Aitor Karanka proved even more coolly calculating, refreshing six positions ahead of Friday night’s all-important league trip to Ipswich.
Such alterations failed to prevent his side beginning brightly with Joel Robles swiftly being required to show off his goalkeeping reflexes by repelling Stewart Downing’s beautifully curved free kick.
Shortly afterwards home fans momentarily thought they had a goal to celebrate but, before the celebrations could begin, it was rightly ruled out. As Robles attempted to gather a corner Christian Stuani barged into him, Roger East punishing the foul as the ball hit Everton’s goalkeeper on the head and bounced into the back of the net.
Suitably spurred, Martínez's players responded with a legitimate goal of their own. On Monday Karanka had enthused about the time he spent coaching the teenage Gerard Deulofeu in Spain and raved about the winger's talent. As if to emphasise this was no generous hyperbole, Deulofeu seized possession near the halfway line and proceeded to sashay beyond a couple of defenders, leaving Ben Gibson on his backside, before unleashing a low shot from the edge of the area. As it whizzed into the bottom corner with unerring accuracy, the sense of disappointment in the stands was almost palpable.
Teesside optimism turned to resignation as Deulofeu provided one of the best assists likely to be seen anywhere all season. A delightful Everton passing move concluded with the game’s principal talent teasing and tormenting Fernando Amorebieta with a series of dazzling, bewitching stepovers. With the home defence thoroughly bamboozled, all that remained was for Deulofeu to deliver a fine cross, which Romelu Lukaku expertly headed beyond Tomás Mejías.
Undeterred, Boro fans turned their attentions to Alastair Brownlee, the hugely popular match commentator for BBC Radio Tees who has recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Having lit up all four sides of the stadium by holding up their mobile phones and turning them into torches they chorused “Only one Ali Brownlee” and “Ali Brownlee, he’s one of us.”
Down on the pitch Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton were finding the going increasingly tough in central midfield but, like their team-mates, creditably refused to give up. Indeed the recalled Kike might have scored a spectacular goal had his audacious attempt to chip Robles come off, while Downing apologised to his fellow forwards after wasting a 35-yard free kick.
It was not so much that Boro were playing badly than Everton at times seemed to be belong in a different stratosphere. Much of the visitors’ passing, movement and ball retention was breathtaking while in Deulofeu and Lukaku Karanka’s normally assured defence found themselves confronted by irrepressible opponents.
Attempting to limit the potential damage Boro’s manager replaced Carlos de Pena with the more defensively minded Adam Forshaw at half time. This switch seemed to galvanise them and Robles did well to keep Downing’s crisply struck left-foot shot out following industrious approach play from Stuani.
Stuani might have subsequently pulled a goal back but headed wastefully over from Emilio Nsue’s cross. By then Everton had survived a handball penalty appeal against Rogelio Funes Mori and, perhaps relaxing a little, were experiencing a few slapdash moments.
They seemed to wake up once Leighton Baines came off the bench to make his first appearance of the season. The England left back was soon lecturing the referee after Dani Ayala escaped serious censure for apparently elbowing Deulofeu.
Guardian Services
