Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has praised Everton ace Dwight McNeil for producing a ‘delightful’ display against Luton Town in the FA Cup fourth-round defeat on Saturday.
The 24-year-old started for the Toffees at Goodison Park as Sean Dyche’s side tried to take a fifth-round spot. But it was Jack Harrison who bagged the Blues’ only goal of the game. He pulled Everton level in the 55th minute, following Vitaliy Mykolenko’s 39th-minute own goal.
Everton would nearly take a second successive stage of their FA Cup season to a replay, as well. The Merseyside club also needed a replay to beat Crystal Palace in the third round. But Cauley Woodrow reacted the quickest to give Luton a 2-1 win at Everton in the 96th minute.
Luton Town have now won 2-1 at Everton twice this season
Andre Gomes sealed their win over Crystal Palace but was in Everton’s injured crop at home to Luton in the FA Cup. Dyche was also without Abdoulaye Doucoure and Seamus Coleman as the Toffees hosted the Hatters again. Luton won 2-1 in the Premier League in September.
Dyche started McNeil in Everton’s XI in both of Luton’s trips this term so far, with the winger earning 21 of his 23 appearances yet in the Blues’ line-up. He also boasts two goals and five assists across all competitions. His goals and four assists have come in 18 top-flight games.
Lee Hendrie praised Dwight McNeil in Everton’s FA Cup defeat
McNeil almost had a sixth assist for the season in Everton’s FA Cup defeat to Luton, as well. The former England U21 international impressed Hendrie with his cross into Harrison in the second half, too. But Everton would come to rue Harrison failing to keep his attempt down.
“Everton have just had a really good chance,” Hendrie exclaimed on Sky Sports News (27/1, 16:38). “Down the left-hand side, McNeil puts in a delightful cross in and Harrison, winger-to-winger, just gets over the ball. [He] blazes it over the bar.”
Per WhoScored, Harrison’s shot was the only goalscoring chance that McNeil created during Everton’s defeat to Luton. Dyche also replaced the forward with Arnaut Danjuma in the 78th minute. McNeil left the match having also taken one shot, which 35-year-old Tim Krul saved.
Harrison recorded the most shots by any player in either side on Saturday with five. Everton and Luton both attempted 14 shots per club. But while the Hatters hit the target with five of their efforts, the Toffees only hit the target twice – once through both, Harrison and McNeil.
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