Toffees smash five to waltz into round four
CHELTENHAM TOWN……………….1
EVERTON………………………………5
EVERTON manager David Moyes revelled in a rare goal spree last night after his side swept Cheltenham Town aside to set up an FA Cup fourth round trip to Sunderland or Bolton.
Nikica Jelavic, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, Seamus Coleman and Marouane Fellaini all scored as the Toffees hit five for only the second time in almost two years.
“We’ve not scored a lot of goals like that – we scored at different times and from different goalscorers and it’s something we need to improve on,” said Moyes.
“They always had a chance – even at 3-1 they had a sniff of one – and the game can swing, but we scored some good goals and played well enough to win the game.”
Moyes named a strong team to face the League Two high-fliers and was rewarded as his team raced into the lead after 12 minutes, striker Jelavic reacting quickly after Fellaini’s shot hit the post.
Fellaini was involved nine minutes later when Cheltenham captain Alan Bennett climbed on the Belgium midfielder to concede a penalty that Baines clinically despatched low to the left.
The Premier League side looked safe when Osman collected a Baines cut-back, showed neat footwork and fired the third past Scott Brown just after half-time, but the hosts instantly hit back through Russell Penn.
Full-back Coleman lifted over Brown for the fourth – his first goal since March 2011 – just before the hour and Fellaini capped the rout by finishing Victor Anichebe’s cross a minute from time.