Oldham 2 Everton 2: Substitute Smith seals great escape to earn replay
By DOMINIC FARRELL, PRESS ASSOCIATION
Oldham's 6ft 6in striker Matt Smith once again put the giant into giantkilling as the League One club's incredible FA Cup journey continued last night.
Unlike Smith's two goals against Liverpool three weeks ago, this one did not guarantee Oldham progress into the next round.
Raucous: Matt Smith sent in the leveller to force a replay against Premier League opposition
Rising above it: Matt Smith heads home the last-gasp equaliser
MATCH FACTS
Oldham: Bouzanis, Brown, Grounds, Mvoto, Wesolowski (Furman 66), Tarkowski, Croft, Obita (Simpson 77), Iwelumo (Smith 61), Barnard, Baxter.Subs not used: Cisak, Byrne, Winchester, Millar
Goals: Obita 13, Smith 90
Everton: Howard, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Neville, Gibson, Osman, Pienaar (Oviedo 79), Fellaini, Jelavic (Duffy 90), Anichebe (Mirallas 46). Subs not used: Mucha, Heitinga, Hitzlsperger, Naismith
Booked: Neville
Goals: Anichebe 24, Jagielka 48
Referee: Phil Dowd
Att: 9,473
But it still felt like that as, in a goalmouth melee that left Everton furious, the former Manchester University student planted a 94thminute header past Tim Howard to earn his side a lucrative and welldeserved replay at Goodison Park.
The outpouring of joy at an inhospitable Boundary Park - once dubbed Ice Station Zebra by former Oldham and
Everton manager Joe Royle - had to be seen to be believed.
Home fans stayed behind in their thousands to celebrate for fully 20 minutes after the final whistle while the players went through their warm-down in front of them.
This is a club in the League One relegation zone, a full 59 places behind the Premier League aristocrats from Goodison Park.
Ahead early through Jordan Obita, Oldham then fell behind as the visitors' class showed with goals from Victor Anichebe and Phil Jagielka.
But not even then did Oldham, under caretaker manager Tony Philliskirk, surrender.
Flying: Phil Jagielka is mobbed after scoring Everton's second goal
In the lead: Jagielka (centre) nods home from a Kevin Mirallas corner to put Everton a goal up
Smith, who had to come off the bench rather than start because of a shoulder injury sustained in the fourth-round win against Liverpool, had been foiled by Howard as the minutes ticked away with Everton on course to become the first Premier League club into the last eight.
Then fellow substitute Robbie Simpson put a clear chance into the side-netting after Howard had saved his first effort on a solo breakout.
But with seconds to go, Oldham goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis joined his team-mates in the Everton area, jumping with his arms raised to try to get near Jonathan Grounds' terrific corner.
Leveller: Victor Anichebe (centre) celebrates with his team-mates after bringing Everton back on terms
Joy: Jordan Obita celebrates after putting the home side in the lead early in the match
The ball looked as if it might have flicked his arms on its way to Smith, who headed it home from six yards as Everton screamed for handball.
'Credit to the team, it was an unbelievable performance from the keeper to the substitutes,' said Smith.
'We have been working on inswinging crosses all week. It was a tremendous cross and I managed to get my head on it.
50-50: Lee Barnard (right) goes head-to-head with Everton's midfielder Marouane Fellaini
'We left it to the death but they all count. We shall go to Everton for the replay full of confidence.'
When the dust has settled, Everton manager David Moyes will still see the Cup as an ideal opportunity to win his first trophy after 11 years as the club's manager, especially given Arsenal's shock exit at home to Blackburn Rovers earlier.
But if he was fuming at conceding so late, he said: 'I thought there was a foul for the first corner leading up to the equaliser which wasn't given, but Oldham more than deserved their replay, so fair play to them.
Coming together: Chris Iwelumo (left) competes for the ball with Jagielka (right)
Salute: Former Oldham manager Paul Dickov waves to fans of his old club from the press box
'We missed a couple of chances to finish the game off but they had a couple of opportunities late on. They have some FA Cup pedigree having beaten Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, so it was always going to be a tough game for us.'
The underdogs had struck first after 13 minutes - from an Everton corner - when Leighton Baines's delivery was cleared and Lee Croft brushed past Leon Osman on the breakaway. Croft showed admirable composure to slip a pass across the six-yard box where onrushing teenager Obita, on loan from Reading, could not miss the tap-in.
But Everton responded quickly as they needed to, and when Nikica Jelavic flicked a header into the path of Victor Anichebe after 24 minutes, the powerful Nigerian striker held off Jean-Yves M'Voto and thumped a finish past Bouzanis, the Oldham goalkeeper who began his career with Liverpool.
Any suggestion that Oldham would fold was instantly dispelled when they hit a post through Obita but three minutes after the interval it seemed sanity had been restored.
Everton took the lead in a manner that would have frustrated Oldham's fans and their recently departed manager Paul Dickov, back as an ITV pundit at the ground where he masterminded the Liverpool win.
Kevin Mirallas, on as a half-time substitute for Anichebe, whipped in a corner and, while Lee Barnard and Bouzanis left it to each other, to deal with the delivery, Phil Jagielka converted from six yards.
That seemed that, until Smith answered Oldham's prayers once again and everyone connected with the Latics went wild with joy - Dickov included.
Close one: Leon Osman tries to hold off the challenge of Oldham's James Wesolowski
Looking on: Both Everton and Oldham staff watch the match from the edge of the pitch at Boundary Park
Shame: Cash-strapped Oldham told player not to swap shirts at the end of the match
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