MY ACCOUNT
Salomon Rondon’s brace put Everton into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over National League Boreham Wood — the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.
Everton boss Frank Lampard named a strong starting line-up that included Andros Townsend, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, but Boreham Wood fought valiantly, holding out until the 57th minute.
The visitors’ resistance was eventually broken, however, as Rondon turned Jonjoe Kenny’s low cross in at the near post.
Richarlison thought he had doubled his side’s advantage in the 71st minute, but saw the goal disallowed as Boreham Wood continued to dig in.
Everton put the game to bed in the 84th minute as Rondon’s header just crossed the line before Taye Ashby-Hammond was able to reach it, putting the Toffees through to the last eight.
Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard praised Everton for their quality and hailed the achievement of his men in getting to this stage of the competition.
He said: “We didn’t really have many spells and they dominated the ball. We were waiting for one moment but Everton managed it superbly. We just went over 500 minutes in the FA Cup without conceding a goal but their movement and their runs were just class.
“The fans have been amazing they didn’t stop singing. It’s a shame we didn’t give them their moment but they were class and they gave us everything.
“What this group has done is fantastic and we have been in the last 16 of a national cup competition.”
Everton manager Frank Lampard was similarly positive in his assessment of Boreham Wood, suggesting the National League outfit gave a good account of themselves.
He said: “[We got a] clean sheet but we were too slow in the first half and Boreham Wood were organised, we did not give them enough problems. Second half we were more urgent, a brighter performance and we created a lot.
“You need that goal to give you comfort in a game like this and when we got it, it was comfortable. All credit to them, they made it tough for us. It was a big night for them but we got the job done.
“There are lots of factors, it was a huge, huge night for them, well-deserved and they had a massive support that travelled up. It was the game of their life for some of the players and they gave it their all.
“They are well-coached, well-organised and are no fools. If you don’t score early, there may be nerves around the ground and I understand that. Fair play to them, I wish them well going forward.
“We train at a level and play at a level in the Premier League in which you have to make that count. In the first half we didn’t, we made it easy for them but when we raised the level and moved the ball quicker, you can see spaces [that] opened up and [were] created from that.”
Did you know?
Boreham Wood conceded for the first time in the FA Cup proper this season, with Rondon’s opening goal the 56th shot they had faced.
Rondon scored his second and third goals in an Everton shirt tonight, having opened his account in the 3-1 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace in December.
Townsend’s assist for Rondon’s second goal was his fourth in all competitions this season — putting the winner joint-top of Everton’s assist charts with four, alongside Doucoure.
Defender Jonjoe Kenny registered his third assist of the campaign across all competitions in his 12th appearance of the season.
