Over 9,000 travelling Everton fans roared their way through their FA Cup third round tie at Manchester United but while their struggling side matched their hosts for 45 minutes and threatened to pull off a second unlikely share of the spoils in this city in less than a week, ultimately a 3-1 defeat left them to focus on a grim relegation battle for the remainder of the season.
The Blues fell into the bottom three of the Premier League this week but their incredible support remains top of the table.
Despite their side having now just won one of their last 12 matches in all competitions, loyal but long-suffering Evertonians filled out their allocation for a game not subject to the £30 away ticket cap, on a Friday night on terrestrial television and regardless of the result and the deep concern around the club that prompted the ECHO to ask for answers from Goodison Park’s hierarchy on its front page earlier in the day, they were determined to make themselves heard.
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Those supporters could have easily gone into their shells when their side fell behind just three minutes into the contest as Antony tapped in and the back post but they almost took the roof off at Old Trafford 10 minutes later when Coady Coady capitalised on a mistake by home keeper David De Gea, who allowed a Neal Maupay shot to bobble between his legs and the Everton centre-back equalised from point blank range.
Ultimately there was just more disappointment though as seven minutes into the second half – by which time Alex Iwobi had been forced off through injury – Coady found the net in front of the Stretford End again but this time it was to turn Marcus Rashford’s cross past his own keeper, Jordan Pickford. Frank Lampard’s side continued to show spirit though and their fans were celebrating again when substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin chested in Demarai Gray’s cross from a yard out but the scenes of joy proved premature as a VAR check ruled the effort out for Gray being offside in the build-up.
United would add a third in stoppage time through Rashford’s penalty after Godfrey fouled substitute Alejandro Garnacho.
Beaten but unbowed, there was no disgrace on or off the field from Everton here despite the result but the huge question marks remain over what now lies ahead for them, battling to retain their 69-year stay in English football’s top flight.
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