After leading for the majority of the game, a young Everton outfit were outdone by a late rally by Liverpool.
Max Woltman’s goal deep into injury time meant that the game ended one a piece on a dim Sunday afternoon at Haig Avenue.
Stanley Mills was on target for the Toffees inside the opening minutes, delightfully lobbing Marcelo Pitaluga, the Liverpool man who’s also on loan at Macclesfield.
Chance after chance fell for both sides but in frustrating fashion for both, the men in between the sticks were constantly on tabs to keep the game at bay.
Finally with a minute to spare, Woltman’s late strike meant the bragging rights were earned by neither side and the draw was the final result.
Both sides could look at this game and rue the chances they missed, but in truth, Everton are the side who will be left the most aggrieved by the result as they missed multiple golden chances to further their cushion.
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Story Of The Match
The intensity of both sides was clear from minute one, and Everton almost punished their rivals inside the opening seconds.
Mills, a player who’s impressively broke into a rather deteriorating Everton first team, shifted inside of the Liverpool back-line and drove with a pivot along the floor, but Pitaluga was comfortably equal to the shot.
Then it was Liverpool’s turn to lay siege on the Everton goal, and after Harvey Blair received the ball down the left, his shot looked to be heading for the top corner, but the trailing hand of Billy Crelin managed to steer the shot behind for a corner kick, which ultimately came to nothing.
After a spell were the game seemed even, Everton grew more on top and eventually broke the deadlock.
Just after the quarter of an hour mark, Einar Iversen picked out the run of Mills and after finding the Toffees attacker, the onrushing Pitaluga was lobbed, and Everton led.
Everton were searching for another strike to double their lead and Liverpool were struggling with the tempo of the Blues, and a second was close soon after the first.
Francis Okoronko gathered the ball into his path and after finding space, he struck but the outcome was it dribbling across the floor and behind.
Okoronko was involved again in an Everton move, along with Mills who continued to impress.
After Mills squandered one effort, Okoronko failed to pounce on the loose ball cleanly, scuffing his shot.
After a first-half edged by Everton, Liverpool came out of their shell and Crelin was handed with his first real goal-mouth danger.
An authoritative free-kick was hauled into the danger area and from the back, Billy Koumetio stabbed goalwards, but Crelin was there to deny the French defender.
Koumetio almost went from hero to villain in the space of a few minutes and after being lacklustre in possession, he gifted Okoronkwo with the perfect chance as he raced through one-on-one with Pitaluga, but he couldn’t divert his shot past the Brazilian.
Both keepers just about kept their sides in the game, with many of the plaudits around Haig Avenue going to both.
After earning a numerical advantage following a contentious Ishe Samuels-Smith sending off, Liverpool seemed to have a boost and deep into added time, they levelled proceedings.
After receiving the ball from a cut back, Max Woltman marked his cameo off the bench with a goal after he had the easiest of finishes to being the Reds level.
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Player Of The Match
Marcelo Pitaluga (Liverpool)
Both sides showed real promise going forward, constantly placing each others defences under pressure, but the scores wouldn’t have been intact if the men in between the sticks weren’t on form.
With Everton seeming to be the most assertive outfit throughout the ninety, it meant Marcelo Pitaluga had to be on top form, and he certainly was.
After suffering a nasty injury for Macclesfield in late November, he’s returned to the young Reds squad, as well as the Macclesfield squad, and since his return, he’s seemed to have slotted back in very well.
Today, his distribution was on point, he was quick to react and some of the saves he made were certainly worthy of keeping his side in the game.
