Bournemouth knock out Everton in Goodison Park’s last FA Cup tie | FA Cup

The Park End was awash before kick-off with banners commemorating Everton’s five FA Cup triumphs, each one part of the competition’s 132-year history at Goodison Park. History is where Goodison and the FA Cup will remain. Bournemouth ensured there will never be another cup tie at the grand old stadium as Andoni Iraola’s team defeated Everton for the third time this season.

Two James Tarkowski errors contributed to the two Bournemouth goals, a penalty from the impressive Antoine Sememyo plus a bundled effort from Daniel Jebbison leaving David Moyes’ side with the proverbial mountain to climb by half-time. Everton did their best to stage a second half recovery only to strike the post three times.

Bournemouth almost did to Everton what the home side had done to Leicester last Saturday in scoring straight from kick-off. Ryan Christie caught the home defence cold when turning to put Jebbison through on goal. Jake O’Brien got an all-important touch but the ball dropped to Marcus Tavernier, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Tarkowski. The early drama was not sustained, nor was Tarkowski’s usually reliable presence in the Everton defence.

Iliman Ndiaye created a chance out of nothing when dispossessing Illia Zabarnyi on the by-line and gliding past Tyler Adams, but his attempt to squeeze a shot under Kepa Arrizabalaga from a tight angle was thwarted by the visiting keeper. It was an otherwise subdued, scrappy cup tie until a combination of Bournemouth’s polished approach play and Tarkowski’s leaden-feet yielded a penalty for Iraoli’s side.

Milos Kerkez, the Hungary left-back linked with a move to Liverpool, released Semenyo behind a static Everton defence with a lovely cushioned volley from Dean Huijsen’s long ball. The powerful forward advanced into the area where he was unceremoniously upended by Tarkowski’s foul. Semenyo picked himself up to convert a blatant penalty into Jordan Pickford’s bottom corner., Pickford went the right way but was beaten by the pace of Semenyo’s spot-kick.

Tarkowski’s second costly mistake arrived shortly before the interval when, under no pressure after receiving a Pickford goal-kick, he pinged a pass straight to Tavernier. The Bournemouth winger’s shot deflected into the path of Jebbison who bundled the ball past the Everton goalkeeper at the second attempt.

Everton had been careless in possession, culpable for their own downfall and unable to keep their feet at times with Idrissa Gueye and Jesper Lindstrom repeatedly slipping over. Even so, the boos that followed them down the tunnel at half-time – admittedly from a minority of the home crowd – were ridiculous. Rebuilding a connection between the team and fans is a priority for Moyes and, as he said before the game, key to players being able to perform with freedom.

The hosts’ improved considerably after the restart, performing with the intensity and positivity that had been absent before the break. The introduction of recent loan signing Carlos Alcaraz was a major factor, but there would be no reward. The frame of Arrizabalaga’s goal saw to that.

It was clearly not Tarkowski’s or Everton’s day. The central defender just failed to connect with a James Garner corner when it flew across the Bournemouth six-yard box. Alcaraz, fouled 25 yards from goal after a surging run from midfield, swept the resulting free-kick against a post with KArrizabalaga rooted to the spot. Ndiaye flicked an Ashley Young corner towards goal only for Semenyo to head clear off the line. Alcaraz kept the pressure on, fellow substitute Jack Harrison crossed to the back post and O’Brien headed against the woodwork from two yards out. Another Harrison crossed then sailed over the Bournemouth defence, hit the inside of the same post and rebounded into the grateful arms of the visiting keeper. The three attempts against the woodwork and Semenyo’s clearance were all condensed into the space of five minutes.

At the other end Pickford saved from substitute Justin Kluivert and at close range from Semenyo as Bournemouth looked to punish Everton on the counterattack. They had already inflicted enough.