The European dream may be over for this season, but on a night of many emotions, the Blues performance was one of the best we have seen for a long time, and it was a cruel, cruel way to go out. However, the European adventure has given us some great nights, and has been a really good learning curve for the team, considering the major disappointments of 2005. It will also give everyone the incentive to make sure these games and trips are a regular feature going forward

The night began with concerns of whether we could score the goals needed to drag ourselves back into the tie after the very poor performance in Florence. The team virtually picked itself after Cahill’s injury at Sunderland, and the skipper was rightly restored to his best position in place of Hibbo at Right Back. The balance in midfield looked much better with Ossie and Carsley in the middle, and the creative threat of Mikel and Peanuts on the wing. Goodison was packed to the rafters, the crowd were up for it and so it looked, were the team.

We started well, and I was surprised to see the Italians hadn’t packed their defence and were sitting back to defend their lead. Their attempts to time waste early on were properly dealt with and this tactic didn’t last long. We threw everything at them and created chance after chance, and it was no surprise when we took the lead when AJ found himself in a position that he couldn’t miss from, and it was definitely game on.

We could have had a penalty when AJ took a ball on the chest, turned the defender and was then impeded in the box, but we know we don’t get penalties. I would have put my house on the Yak doubling the lead when he turned the centre half and got himself into a great position, and another chance saw AJ take 1 touch too many before his shot was blocked. On a couple of occasions we were a bit heavy with headers from corners when a glance may have been better (Jags and the Yak) and were denied a 2nd by a linesman’s flag on the stroke of half time.

There was no need to make any changes as the performance was 1st class, and it was felt that if we could get a 2nd, the Italians might collapse. The game was open and chances would come, it was just a matter of whether we would take them.

The chances did come – Yak missed when getting himself into another scoring position, Jags again was too heavy with a header, the Yak headed narrowly wide, another effort was scrambled off the line and penalty appeals for a handball were again waved away, until Mikel danced inside and from a similar position to last seasons strike against Bolton, and hammered a right footer into the bottom corner to send Goodison into raptures. With still 25 minutes to go, we were level, and it looked as if it was only a matter of time before we would win it.

We had to be sharp at the back, and Tim was called into action with an acrobatic save from a Pazzini header. Jags was immense again at the back, but there was always that worry that if we pushed up too far, they could sneak one and completely wreck our chances. More efforts peppered the street end goal, but Frey kept out a Yak bullet header and everything else that came his way, but it was Extra Time, which would have been the minimum target before the game

Again, we dominated in the 1st period without finding the net, but a goal for them and the tie was over. It was now getting really tense.

The Boss then made 2 big decisions that could have gone for or against him. Big Vic, the UEFA Cup talisman was given 15 minutes to go and win it, and someone had to make way, and he chose Peanuts, moving AJ out wide. Vic did have 1 effort on goal which was slightly off target. The last minute change of Tommy for AJ raised a few eyebrows, especially as AJ was a potential penalty taker, but we know from 2005, that Tommy isn’t bad from the spot either.

So after 210 minutes of football and the sides locked at 2-2, the game went to penalties – some say it’s a lottery, some say its down to skill and bottle, some teams seem to specialise in winning them, but it’s a cruel way to lose. How often does the team that doesn’t deserve to win, come out trumps on penalties – I can think of a few!!!!!

Tim isn’t renowned for many penalty saves while Frey looked enormous in the park end goal, and despite getting a hand to the first one, Tim didn’t get near to any of the other 3. Tommy and Mikel confidently despatched theirs, but yak was a coat of paint away from his going in, and despite hitting the target with power, Jags’s effort was palmed away by Frey, and that was it.

In summary, it was a superb performance from start to finish. We created the most chances I can remember in a match for a long time - probably more than we did in the 7-1 win against Sunderland in November, and on the night, 7-1 wouldn’t have been an unfair scoreline. We were as good in the 2nd leg as we were as bad in the 1st leg, and nobody could have asked anymore. Our commitment and effort couldn’t be faulted, and we restored a lot of pride after a poor 1st leg in Florence. We came across a team who led a charmed life especially from crosses, a goalkeeper who was at the top of his game, and a referee, who could have given us 2 penalties. We could have been a bit more clinical in front of goal at times, and peppered their dodgy defence with a few better deliveries from set pieces, but it wasn’t to be. Maybe Tim Cahill would have gobbled up a couple of those half chances in the box?

We need to ensure that we qualify for Europe again next season, as we have gained a lot of valuable experience this time around. Villa’s result last night has given us a 7 point gap with 9 to play, but 4th place is certainly there for the taking, and if we can continue to play like that, there is no reason why we can’t make it. Fiorentina may not come across a tougher tie if they progress, and we may get to see them again in Manchester if we are successful in the UEFA ballot for what we had hoped would be extra final tickets. Its been a great adventure with many new club records being broken, but the players and fans can take a lot of credit for what was almost another European night to remember.

I couldn’t single out any player for Man of the Match because they all gave their all. Graeme Holmes.

Moyesy says: "We played some good stuff, they are a good side. We didn't play well over there, but we made up for it tonight. We had enough chances to win the tie and we probably should have done. He (Sebastien Frey, Fiorentina goalkeeper) saved them and his saves were the difference. The crowd played their part and the players played their part in making that happen."

Fiorentina coach Cesar Prandelli says: "I have to congratulate my team as it was a great achievement. I am very satisfied, especially the way we took our penalties, as it was a hard game. I thought my side was fresher towards the end of the match as Everton were pressing all the time." (13/03/08)

* Harry Hill after a free kick was given to the visitors, picking the ball up and lashing on the Italian players head who was obviously acting on the floor.

* C'mon you blues. It's a massive night for us bluenoses. But I plead with you David please don't go out with a whimper get AJ running his bo###ks off are Tater & Peanuts causing havoc down the flanks & Harry Hill / Timmy doing a massive shift in the engine room, because we have no fear of conceding in our playground at the back with Jags, Roger & Tim in fine form. You know what it takes David get our boys right in there faces form the 1st whistle & the rest of the competition will be shitting themselves !!!!!! I predict 4-1, Yak, AJ 2, Are Tater. COYB Blue for Life SY. Simon O'Brien

* 3-1 going into extra time, and nicking it in extra time. Yak, Johnson and Joleon. COYB. Rhys Williams

* 4-0. Goals from Yak, AJ(2), Jags. Bayern Munich Mark 2. Cookie.

*

Ossie, Nuno and Manny are all doubts for the Blues vital second leg clash with Fiorentina at Goodison on Wednesday evening. Everton find themselves trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Italy, and all the players with the exception of Tim Howard will be hoping to to vastly improve their performances after last week lack lustre effort. The Blues bounced back against Sunderland on Sunday, and another clean sheet will be essential if the boys have any notions of making the Quarter Finals. Harry Hill will be back in the starting line up, hopefully fresh as a daisy after he sat out the win at the weekend due to suspension. Moyesy will be looking for goals, so me thinks AJ will get the nod up front with The Yak, in what will be the Alamo from the off.

Everton from: Howard, Wessels, Neville, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Jagielka, Valente, Baines, Carsley, Osman, Arteta, Pienaar, Gravesen, Cahill, Fernandes, Johnson, Yakubu, Anichebe, Rodwell.

Lavo's XI To Start: Howard, Jagielka, Lescott, Yobo, Neville, Carsley, Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Johnson, Yakubu

The 7:45pm kick off is now officially a sell out, and as ever the crowd will make the visitors know their in a match. Tim Cahill is hoping for an early goal to put the Italians on the back foot, and if that comes the noise level will treble. Only a 2-0 win for Everton will ensure extra time, and I will take that now. Tim says: "We have to give everything, we need goals and we need goals early. We’re very confident for the fact that we’ve earned our right to be here and there’s a lot of good footballers in this team and the squad is looking really strong. We just have to give everything and playing at home is a massive help for us and it’s something we’re going to be looking forward to. I think that it was disappointing away, but it’s a different style of football when you play against Italian teams. I grew up admiring AC Milan and the style of football in Serie A is a lot of pressing and in your face football, they seem to play really slow, but there’s no room and there’s no time, but come home time we’ve basically got nothing left to lose. The Everton faithful always stand by the lads and the main thing is that we do want to succeed because we want to see this club do very well. We’ve grown in all aspects from training grounds to players, but the players want to put something back into the community."

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So the Italians come to do what they do best and that is defend a lead. After they undid us last week in Florence, you would expect them to sit back and soak up the pressure. Far from it, Fiorentina Coach Cesare Prandelli will not be changing his tactics, and will go for goals himself. It all makes for an interesting evening. Siena beat Fiorentina 1-0 at the weekend, but even a result like that will not be enough for the Blues to go through. Feed The Yak and he will score.........

Cesare Prandelli says: "It will be a difficult game, and we know it will be tough but we will not be changing our tactics. It will be harder to defend but our frame of mind is to try and score as many as possible. We will try to score as many as possible but if we don't manage to that will just show that Everton have been stronger. When the draw picked Everton we knew it would be a hard and important game and we are aware that Everton are doing well in the Premier League, but we are doing well in Serie A so it is not a surprise that we got such a great result at home. But I think tomorrow night's game will be much different. There are at least three or four excellent players who can score against us and Everton have some quality players and I think they will also be quite physical." (12/03/08)