Boreham Wood’s bid to become only the second non-league side in the modern era to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup came up short as they were beaten 2-0 by Everton at Goodison Park.
A night when the football did not particularly inspire was better summed up by two ovations; that given to Everton’s Ukrainian captain for the night Vitaliy Mykolenko and the one 1,800 travelling Wood fans stayed behind to give their side as their historic cup run came to an end, the club having already become just the tenth to reach this stage of English football’s oldest cup competition while playing outside its Football League.
A mere 78 places separated the two teams but only Salomon Rondon’s double did likewise on the night, the second of which, six minutes from time, finally killed off Luke Garrard’s spirited side, though in truth, even at 1-0 they rarely threatened to find a leveller.
Fourth-bottom in the Premier League and fighting relegation, Everton were on a hiding to less than nothing while their opposition, fourth in the National League, had less still to lose, so Frank Lampard’s deserve a modicum of credit for what was eventually a professional job done - though not a great deal more.
A quarter-final against Crystal Palace awaits, a trip to Wembley in sight, but hope of going all the way will be tempered by the fact that Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all avoided one another in the draw that proceeded kick-off here.
Even earlier in the evening, news broke that the UK Government had followed the European Union’s lead in sanctioning billionaire oligarch Alisher Usmanov, the former Arsenal shareholder whose USM Holdings had, until earlier this week, sponsored Everton’s training ground.
Like the EU, the Toffees had moved more swiftly than Whitehall, already severing ties with USM and fellow Russian companies Megafon and Yota, with branding relating to all three removed from Goodison Park.
It had stood out as an uncomfortable backdrop to the otherwise powerful show of support for Ukraine that came with Saturday’s visit of Manchester City and another followed here, Frank Lampard having backed up what he called a “football decision” to start Ukrainian international Vitaliy Mykolenko with a sentimental one in handing the 22-year-old the captain’s armband.
He led out the home side, who were joined by the visitors in carrying individual Ukrainian flags as John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ played in a genuinely moving scene.
This week’s reminder that politics and football are never far apart, if at all, has come as news to no one. But even after the numerous wake-up calls of the past seven days, this one felt particularly stark as a non-league side whose cup run has taken in ties against Barnet, St. Albans and Eastleigh, suddenly stepped into an unfamiliar spotlight to join the stand against a war that threatens to consume a continent.
Mykolenko’s inclusion was one of six changes to the Everton side that started the unjust 1-0 defeat to Manchester City and it was the wing-back who almost opened the scoring with what would have been a meant-to-be goal on eight minutes, denied by Taye Ashby-Hammond, who also parried smartly to keep out Anthony Gordon’s awkward long-range effort in the non-leaguers’ only other scare of note before the break.
The Wood army were having a whale of a time as they played their part with several time-wasting games of Hide The Ball and applauded their side off, still yet to see them breached in five-and-a-half matches on this magnificent run, but the size of the task ahead in preserving that record was emphasised by the half-time introduction of £50m man Richarlison.
His strike partner, Rondon, twice went close to a breakthrough, just failing to get on the end of Mykolenko’s ball across the face of goal before heading over from Jonjoe Kenny’s cross when unmarked and perfectly placed.
But the Venezuelan did not squander a third opportunity as he squeezed beyond Ashby-Hammond at the near-post to send relief coursing around Goodison shortly before the hour.
Mykolenko’s night - and in the midst of a cup tie that never really got going, it really was Mykolenko’s night - came to a premature end after a shuddering collision with the advertising hoardings but he left the pitch as he had entered it, with Goodison Park on its feet in appreciation.
Kane Smith, a lifelong Everton fan, and Wood’s 37-year-old captain Mark Ricketts were both afforded similar ovations when making their own departures.
Richarlison had a second chalked off by VAR, which had far less trouble spotting the Brazilian’s handball than it had Rodri’s here a few days earlier but eventually technology did come good for the Toffees, ruling that Rondon’s 84th-minute header had crossed the line for the clincher.
