Everton: Howard, Baines, Yobo, Neville, Hibbert, Rodwell, Felliani, Osman, Pienaar, Cahill, Saha

Bench: Gosling (Rodwell), Nash, Jo (Saha), Vaughan (Pienaar), Duffy, Baxter, Wallace

Referee: Lucilio Cardoso (Spain's Ol Mother Riley)

Having witnessed A-lorra-muck on Saturday in disgust, tonight we were welcoming Olomouc, SK Sigma Olomouc from the Czech Republic in the Europa League Play Off Qualifying round. Saturday really was disgraceful, an embarrassment and such a disappointment AGAIN at the start of the new season.

The funny thing is, it is no surprise. You know the saying, ‘The Toffeemen never let you down’. Well did they? After another Summer of inactivity, a disjointed close season, a small squad with three of our best players missing through injury and the disruption caused by Sitteh sniffing around Roger, were you really surprised?
What did surprise was Moyesy, firstly playing Roger then not changing anything when it went tits up. Half time, 3 down, surely you must try and score goals? No? Moyesy did not make a change until all was well and truly lost. But hey, Moyesy is not immune to Arsenal drubbings, 4-1 on another dire opening day, 7-1 after we had secured 6th place, then there’s the other drubbings, back to back 4-0’s at home to Bolton then away to West Brom and then there was the 5-1 European nightmare in Bucharest, surely tonight was going to be different.
Moyesy had promised a couple of signings ‘in the next 48 hours’ last Friday, it was to no one’s surprise that no new faces had arrived so it was up to those who wore the shirt for the heaviest opening day defeat in our history (and our heaviest home defeat in the Premiership in our history) to go some way towards repairing the damage done on Saturday and give us a healthy lead to take into the second leg.

Early signs were not good. The talk was about Moyesy dropping Roger, who has been ostracised this week at Finch Farm and was seen playing cards on his own shouting, ‘hit me, hit me’ and watching World Series Baseball on a make-believe TV in the canteen. Rumour was that Captain Phil was to deputise at centre-back. The team news came through and King Louis was in for Jo and young Jack in for Roger who was still shouting at the telly in Finch Farm. The question was who would partner Joey, Captain Phil or Young Jack? It was Captain Phil who partnered Joey whilst young Jack made his full European debut in the defensive midfield whilst Joleon sat up in one of the boxes with the Yak and Mikel Arteta.

SK Sigma had already played four games in the competition and it was clear to see they were well organised, hard working, got everyone behind the ball and were also quick on the break. Everton on the other hand started slowly and struggled to get a grip on the game, Jack Rodwell apart the rest were slow to start, Louis could be forgiven as he was isolated up front on his own. It took a couple of scares to shake Everton into action. The first could and should have seen a penalty given and Tim Howard booked, as it was the ref saw it otherwise and we got away with it. Minutes later they had a forward through on goal in a 1:1 with Tim, Tim came out of his box sliding but avoided the forward who dived and earned himself a yellow card. Tim had earlier pulled off a great save tipping a 20 yard screamer around the post for a corner.

Everton’s opener came following our best move of the match so far. Cahill wide left swung in a deep cross, Louis flicked on and Ossie was inside the box free to shoot, he delayed and forced a corner, he should have done better. However, it was from the corner we scored, well almost. The corner was headed out for a throw, the ball was worked to Screech who did well and crossed from the right, Louis got in front of his marker and scored at the near post right on the half hour. Phew! That was a relief.

We didn’t have to wait long for the second and what a beauty it was and from the debutant, young Jack Rodwell. Everton had a free kick 25 yards out which Bainsey took, it hit the wall and bounced out to Rodders who smashed it, just avoiding the ref, and it screamed in, two up, happy days. SK came close at the end of the first half but we went in two up.

HALF TIME EVERTON 2 Sigma Olomouc 0

It didn’t take long to get the crowd going in the second half. On 54 mins Everton were awarded a free kick out on the right, Bainsey whipped it in, it was headed clear and fell to Rodders 25 yards out, he lashed it into the roof of the Street End net, an absolute scorcher, a thunderbolt, one of the best piledrivers seen at Goodison in many a year. This young lad is something else, how soon before Sitteh are sniffing around Our Jack too?
We nearly went four up when Ossie hit a first time shot from the edge of the box after a mistake by an SK defender, their goalie pulled off a great save to tip it round the post for a corner.

Tonight all the goals were top drawer, the fourth and last was good build up down the right between Ossie & Hibbo before the ball was released to King Louis, he spun his marker on the edge of the box and drilled his shot into the bottom corner 4-0, game over, dreamland. This was just the response Moyesy wanted, a great result and after a jittery start, by the end of the game Everton were looking comfortable on the ball, the passing and moves were following and the confidence was back. The crowd were even baying for Tony Hibbert to ‘shooooot’!

Rodders went off to a standing ovation for The Goose to come on and King Louis went off for Jo to the same applause. Peanuts limped off and Vaughany came on. There were no more clear cut chances and we ended up with the perfect response after Saturday’s debacle – the difference? No Lescott. Let’s cash in and move on. Burnley on Sunday will be a bigger test but for now 4 up in the first leg and none conceded, that’ll do for us, thank you!

Blue Kipper Star Man goes to Jack Rodwell, confident on the ball throughout and two special ong range goals, the second will stay in the memory bank for a long, long time. Great night. COYB FTRS

FULL TIME EVERTON 4 Sigma Olomouc 0

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Well, top draw that one. Lavo backs a clean sheet for the Blues, nearly got it, only six goals out, is this a sign of things to come!!

Ah well onwards and upwards and definitely into the unknown with this one. Sigma on paper should be cannon fodder for the Blues, but after the Bucharest debacle of four years ago, we should take nothing for granted. After previous tough tasks against Villarreal and Standard Liege in previous knockout rounds, the Blues should be fairly happy with the calibre of opposition this time round.

It is a blast in the dark here, with no previous form to go on, but the Blues are 1/3 for the home win, and in that there is no value, unless you are whacking a grand on it of course. So I am looking for a goalscorer for this one, and Tiny strikes me as the value player, being 5/1 for the first goal. Fingers crossed fella's, oh and ladies of course.

Lavo's Bet: £10 Tiny First Goal (5/1)

For all Markets, click on the links: All Betfair Markets and Free £10 Bet

Season Total: -£10

Mmmm, Bad Start Fatty

Sigma finished fourth in the Czech League last season, behind Slavia Prauge, Sparta Prauge and Slovan Liberec. In thirty matches they amassed 48 points, sixteen behind eventual leaders Slavia. They are potless in the trophy world, and there best finish in any Competition was the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Cup back in 1992. That's about it really.

Sigma From: Nuc, Machalický, Štepán, Šultes, Janotka, Dreksa, Horava, Štetina, Veprek, Bajer, Prostrední rada, Procházka, Murin, Caihame, Komárek, Blaha, Ordoš, Heidenreich, Petr, Otepka, Kašcák, Rossi, Drobisz, Psotka, Kotulek (asistent trenéra), Lovásik, Škerle, Hubník, Onofrej - Does This mean anything to anyone?

Sigma Celebrate Drawing Everton