Wembley bound

Standing on the concourse of the Top Balcony at Goodison Park on Sunday watching people's faces illustrating varying degrees of anger, disbelief, resignation ('only Everton could manage to mess this one up'), I sensed we'd hit the buffers for the first time this season. The team had been collectively awful for 45 minutes, culminating in a goal for Boro, something you cannot say they didn't deserve. Without our creative talisman Arteta, Tiny and Fellaini once again filling in up front, we looked bereft of ideas, slovenly in possession. Plain lost.

Retaking my seat for the second half I was relieved to see Louis Saha on from the off. Boro had played well and were leading but you don't find yourself at the bottom of the Premier League, short on confidence and leaking goals for nowt. We'd put their back line under no pressure in the first 45. Minutes into the 2nd period and with Saha and Fellaini now leading the line, Everton were a changed team. The ball went back-to-front quickly, putting the only moderately mobile Wheater and Co on the back foot. Fortunately, Boro's keeper Jones decided to help out and we were back in the game in no time. The second goal was an example of Saha's class; quick and powerful, he buried a header for 2-1. Had Baines' free-kick dipped a bit more, the 3-1 lead we craved would have finished the tie. In the end Boro upped their game and both sides went toe-to-toe to the end with Everton hanging on to claim a place in the Semi Final at Wembley in a few weeks.

And I'm delighted about that. The subsequent draw against United slightly spoiled things, but I said before Sunday I'd take a semi-final and a sixth place finish, and that still stands. Should Arsenal make it through, the FA have got their wish not to endure a repeat of the 2008 line-up.

Couple of things I notice about Sunday. The atmosphere in the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half on Sunday was immense, duly noted in one of the papers on Monday, and Louis Saha demonstrated the kind of extra class you get from a top striker. If only he could stay... Yawn.