On World Book Day, Everton found likely heroes ready to write new chapters for the annals of the club’s history in short supply.
The FA Cup was supposed to offer some respite for the Blues from what has been a fitful Premier League campaign but never mind the incessant drizzle that had engulfed the city all day, Frank Lampard’s side made heavy weather of their National League opponents.
Although Joe Royle, the legendary manager of Everton’s last triumph in this competition back in 1995 – after taking charge earlier that season in a year that Liverpool won the League Cup if you’re searching for some kind of lucky omen – was an interested spectator from the Main Stand, the class of 2022 possessed little resemblance to his fabled ‘Dogs of War.’
