Louis Saha made David Moyes’ tactical switch pay dividends by sealing Everton’s passage into the FA Cup semi-finals with the winning goal after coming off the bench in a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Former Manchester United striker Saha, a free transfer signing from Old Trafford last August, won the tie for Everton with a glancing header past Boro keeper Brad Jones in the 56th minute.
Marouane Fellaini had six minutes earlier canceled out David Wheater’s first-half opener for Boro, but Saha’s goal ensured Everton can now look forward to visiting the new Wembley for the first time in next month’s semi-final. There, they will face Manchester United.
Everton manager Moyes revealed there had been harsh words in the home dressing room during the break.
“After a talking to at halftime by the staff members, the players showed what they were really about in the second half with the two goals,” Moyes said. “[What was said] certainly couldn’t be talked about here. We just needed them livened up.”
Boro, second from bottom in the Premier League table compared with Everton’s sixth place, now just have a grim battle for top-flight survival to look forward to in the closing weeks of the season.
Everton had been strong favorites to beat Boro and book their first FA Cup semi-final since 1995 — the year they last won the Cup — but their first-half performance highlighted the nerves and tension within manager Moyes’ squad.
Prior to Wheater’s goal — his first for Middlesbrough since the opening day of the season — Southgate’s team had twice gone close through French forward Jeremie Aliadiere.
Everton, without a recognized striker in their starting line-up, lacked pace and penetration up front, with Australia midfielder Tim Cahill once again deployed as a makeshift lone forward.
The home side’s goal threat was limited to headers from Belgian midfielder Fellaini who, despite his height, failed to take advantage, although he did have one effort cleared off the line by Matthew Bates.
Everton were punished for their poor first-half, though, when Wheater beat goalkeeper Tim Howard with a close-range header seconds before the interval.
A failure to clear a free-kick properly allowed Bates to cross for the Middlesbrough center-half, who out-jumped the Everton defense.
Moyes made a key change at the interval by introducing Saha in place of young midfielder Jack Rodwell and the switch instantly upped Everton’s attacking threat.
And the Everton boss was rewarded for his positive change five minutes into the second half when Fellaini equalized with a header from Cahill’s cross.
Fellaini’s goal put Everton firmly in control of the game. And the crucial second goal came six minutes later when Saha produced a clinical header from Steven Pienaar’s cross.
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