Everton ease to FA Cup win as team reboot starts

They are not used to cheering the men in the technical area.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Not when they were Everton’s unholy trinity of Sean Dyche, Ian Woan and Steve Stone. But the Goodison roar erupted at the announcement of the duo occupying the dugout. It was probably only for one game, but Everton were managed by Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman. They drew the loudest applause of the night: modern-day Goodison greats, instant reminders of better days.

And if another may soon join them, with the probable return of David Moyes, this was a seismic day for Everton. Not because of the narrow win over Peterborough that was overseen by the oldtimers who, when Moyes left in 2013, were arguably the finest pair of flying full-backs in the Premier League. But because of the departure of Sean Dyche.

The real drama occurred in the hours before kick-off away from the pitch. Dyche had arrived in the morning, and then departed his post. If it was too late for any banners, there were never likely to be any. There were no songs in his honor. He was respected at times but never loved. His football was increasingly disliked. And so the figure on the touchline was Baines; typically for a laidback individual, he was less demonstrative than Dyche.

The under-18s manager had started the day working with teenagers at Finch Farm, been told to rush to a city-centre hotel to address the players. He managed the game and promptly ruled himself out of the reckoning for the job on a permanent basis. "I have literally been in a whirlwind," he said. "It was hectic but I enjoyed it. I was happy to help out."