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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Joe Thomas

Frank Lampard delivers verdict on 'clinical' Everton win over Western Sydney Wanderers

Frank Lampard was pleased with the attacking threat Everton carried against Western Sydney Wanderers, particularly his side's "clinical" edge.

A hat-trick from Anthony Gordon and goals from Neal Maupay and Tom Cannon sealed a 5-1 win for the Blues at the CommBank Stadium. The victory rounded off a largely positive tour for the club, which ended the match with six academy starlets on the pitch.

Lampard was keen not to overstate the result but happy with the performance and some of the passages of play produced by his side. He said the display concluded a trip in which he had been impressed by the strength of the support for the club - and so was delighted to reward them with some goals as a result.

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Everton dominated the game and while Wanderers hit the woodwork twice, the Premier League rarely looked in trouble. Speaking after the match, Blues boss Lampard said of the performance: "We felt the game could go this way in terms of the opposition, and how they defend in a 4-4-2, a little bit deeper, and we had to control the game in their half and stay in there.

"We didn't really do that against Celtic, it was a different game with the heat and the jetlag and the counter-attacking element to it, so it was like an exercise for us in that sense of, to do it really well, and keep doing it. We found some good combinations, some nice overloads on the side of the pitch, all things we work on a lot.

"They are not easy things to deliver in the Premier League and that's what we need to get better at times, but when you get the opportunity to play in the opposition's half you have got to work them and move them and create chances and we did that and we were clinical at the end of it."

Everton have found goals hard to come by and are expected to strengthen their attacking options in January. This victory did suggest there were improvements that were close to being realised through the work at Finch Farm, though.

Lampard said: "It's good, it's positive, it's confidence. It's a tour, it's not the Premier League, it's not three points but at the same time you can only ask for the best with what you have in front or you. We've had a positive trip, we've enjoyed the city, the players have been together, got two good results, they need a break now and then the work starts again, but of course we are happy we've had a positive trip."

Lampard said one big boost had been the Blues' support and he was pleased to be able to reward people with some goals. He said: "We really appreciate their support on the other side of the world, it's quite surreal when you sometimes think about people supporting you over here and waking up at night and all they go through with you from afar and I think we have played pretty well.

"Turned out in big numbers against Celtic in a fantastic stadium and occasion and then when we've had a chance to play some attacking football and give them some goals to see then they've seen them, so hopefully it was a good connection for us out here."

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