LAST UPDATE | 3 Mar 2022
NON-LEAGUE BOREHAM Wood’s FA Cup dream was ended by two goals from Salomon Rondon as the Everton striker secured his side a second successive FA Cup quarter-final spot with a laboured 2-0 win at Goodison Park tonight.
The first goals conceded by the Vanarama National League side – 77 places below their top-flight hosts – in this season’s competition were enough to be their downfall with the visiting defence eventually breached by the Venezuelan’s near-post finish in the 57th minute.
A powerful header which Taye Ashby-Hammond, who also made one good, low save from substitute Richarlison, could not prevent from crossing the line guaranteed progress six minutes from time.
Although Richarlison also had a goal ruled out for handball by VAR the Boreham Wood goalkeeper had an easier night that he would have anticipated.
Rondon’s rare double, taking his tally to three in 17 appearances since arriving as one of three summer signings in Rafael Benitez’s ill-fated and short-lived reign, set up a last-eight tie away to Crystal Palace.
Everton had funded a special one-off kit for Boreham Wood, who named the same side which knocked out Bournemouth, to avoid a clash and also paid for the visitors’ travel and overnight stay.
But that generosity was extended to the pitch with a dreadful first half, watched for the first time by Everton’s new director of football Kevin Thelwell.
Ukraine international Vitalii Mykolenko was made Everton captain for the night and there was a poignant pre-match show of solidarity with his homeland as players and officials held a banner reading ‘Imagine all the people, sharing all the world’ – a line from John Lennon’s Imagine which was played over the ground’s public address system.
Elsewhere MIddlesbrough’s reward for knocking Tottenham out of the FA Cup is a home quarter-final against Chelsea.
Boro followed up their fourth-round penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United by deservedly beating Spurs 1-0 after extra time on Tuesday and will now face a third Premier League giant in the last eight.
Chelsea beat Luton on Wednesday and make the long trip north looking to make it back to Wembley for the semi-finals, having been beaten in last season’s final.
Six-time winners Manchester City have been handed a tough draw as they visit Premier League outfit Southampton, while Liverpool – fresh from winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday – are guaranteed Championship opposition after being drawn against the winner of Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield, who play on Monday night.
Crystal Palace will play Everton at Selhurst Park.
Ties will be played over the weekend of 19/20 March.
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