Everton booked their place in the quarter finals of The FA Cup for the third successive season after overcoming a determined Swansea City side in an entertaining affair at Goodison Park.
On a sunny winter’s afternoon on Merseyside, an early debut goal from Lacina Traore was cancelled out by a Jonathan de Guzman header, before a Steven Naismith strike and Leighton Baines penalty sealed the tie for the Toffees.
With a midweek Europa League tie against Napoli at the forefront of his mind, Swansea manager Gary Monk made eight changes from the side that drew with Stoke on Wednesday.
Everton 3-1 Swansea City
The FA Cup with Budweiser
Fifth Round Proper
1.30pm, Sunday 16 February
Goodison Park
Winners receive £180,000
The game came too early for Michu - who continues his rehabilitation from ankle surgery in December – and Alvaro Vazquez lead the line for the Swans.
Everton, meanwhile, handed a full debut to on-loan striker Traore and brought second-choice goalkeeper Joel Robles in for Tim Howard. And with fresh legs aplenty, the game got off to an exhilarating start.
After an impeccably observed minute’s silence for the late Sir Tom Finney, both teams came out of the traps firing in a fast-paced, end-to-end encounter.
Vazquez could have put the visitors ahead within seconds of kick-off as Pablo Hernandez was given time on the ball in midfield and split the Everton defence with a fine pass.
Traore celebrates his goal with Barkley
The Spaniard ran onto it, took the ball round the onrushing Robles but refrained from pulling the trigger on his weaker foot and squared to Roland Lamah, whose soft effort was easily gathered by a grateful Robles.
And moments later, Vazquez and Swansea were behind to a wonderfully instinctive debut goal from Traore.
The opener came when Sylvain Distin latched onto a whipped free-kick and found himself in space in the box. With Swansea defenders flying into tackles in front of him, the Frenchman kept his composure fired the ball in the direction of Traore - who stuck out a leg and flicked the ball into the back of the net.
With so many changes to the Swansea line-up, you could have been forgiven for thinking it would be a case of ‘how many’ for Roberto Martinez’s men, but to their credit the team from South Wales refused to lie down and eleven minutes later they were level.
Neil Taylor picked up the ball on the left corner of the penalty box and, surrounded by Everton defenders, managed to find a gap and curl a cross perfectly into the path of De Guzman, who used the momentum of his run to head home.
De Guzman celebrates his eqaualiser
De Guzman’s was the first goal Everton have conceded in this year’s competition but the Toffees refused to let that peg them back.
Ross Barkley was lively throughout and was a constant threat. Moments before half time, the England midfielder picked up the in the middle of the field and ran at the Swans’ back four – who backed off and allowed Barkley to get a shot away, but his drilled low effort flew just wide.
He continued to threaten into the second half, but with some doubts over his fitness as he continues his recovery from a broken toe, he was taken off on the hour-mark and replaced by Naismith – who went on to have an almost immediate impact.
Taylor, creator in the first half, turned villain in the second when he played a loose back-pass directly into the path of the Scotland international – who calmly poked the ball under the leg of Tremmel and into the far corner to give Everton the lead and one foot in the Sixth Round.
Barkley holds off Wayne Routledge
Seven minutes later, the tie was effectively ended when Jazz Richards brought Naismith down in the box and referee Kevin Friend had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Baines stepped up and fired the spot-kick into the bottom right-hand and Everton a step closer to Wembley.
Everton: Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Mirallas (Deulofeu 87), McCarthy, Barry, Barkley (Osman 61), Traore (Naismith 61)
Substitutes not used: Hibbert, McGeady, Howard, Stones.
Goals: Traore (4), Naismith (65), Baines (72 pen)
Swansea City: Tremmel, Richards, Taylor, Canas, Bartley (Williams 31), Amat, Hernandez, De Guzman, Alvaro, Routledge(Dyer 46), Lamah (Lita 70)
Substitutes not used: Vorm, Britton, Bony, Trendalli
Goals: De Guzman (15)
Bookings: Lita, Canas
Referee: Kevin Friend
