Everton - 0 Middlesbrough - 1: As swiftly as it had flared, the Everton revival has been snuffed out. Middlesbrough plundered Merseyside last night, securing progress with a single goal but proving themselves the slicker of the sides en route. Teesside rejoiced in claiming this trophy last year.
For Everton, this was a rude awakening. The flurry of optimism prompted by Sunday's spirited draw with Chelsea has evaporated with the hosts left to reflect today on the reality that they have now endured elimination from a trio of cup competitions, let alone the Premiership, by the end of October. These remain troubled times for David Moyes.
The eagerness with which the sides tore at each other in the opening exchanges reflected an urgency to impress in this competition, with Everton's confidence initially pepped. Mikel Arteta was pesky down the right flank and only denied an opening goal by Franck Queudrue's timely block.
Yet, by the time James McFadden forced Mark Schwarzer to turn away a near-post effort as the half lurched into stoppage-time, the hosts had lost their left-back Matteo Ferrari - their fourth left-sided defender to succumb to injury - and the initiative to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Middlesbrough merited their advantage. They might have scored three times before the half-hour, the England Under-20 international James Morrison forcing Nigel Martyn to save with Arteta blocking his follow-up before Emanuel Pogatetz, unmarked at the far post, saw a low drive turned aside. When Mark Viduka proved equally profligate from a similar position, Steve McClaren's frustration was clear, though Hasselbaink eventually emerged from the mishmash to pluck the lead.
The Dutchman has been outspoken recently, frustrated at the lack of opportunities granted by his manager's rotation system. He had been peripheral here until Viduka slipped him through on goal seven minutes from the break, with Hasselbaink shrugging off Joseph Yobo's attentions before battering a low shot which squirmed through Martyn's legs and in. Hasselbaink should have secured comfortable progress, first hitting the bar from close range then twice dragging shots wastefully wide.
EVERTON (4-4-2): Martyn; Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Ferrari (Bent,41); Arteta , Davies (Osman,67), P Neville, Kilbane; Beattie, McFadden (Van der Meyde, 62). Subs not used: Wright, Kroldrup.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2) Schwarzer; Parnaby, Ehiogu (Bates, half-time), Riggott, Queudrue; Morrison, Doriva, Rochemback , Pogatetz; Viduka (Yakubu, 78), Hasselbaink (Nemeth, 67). Subs not used: Jones, Kennedy.
Referee: P Walton
