Team: Roberts, Bardsley, Wilson, Peacock, McDonald, Impey, Wilkins, Holloway, Ferdinand, Allen, Sinton (Barker)
Subs Not Used: Stejskal, Ready
Attendance: 19,057
The R’s have only won 4 times at Goodison Park in 22 visits and two of those came in the same year. Our last victory there was on 20th November 1993 and we also beat them in a dramatic encounter the previous April. Richard Tanner wrote the following report for the Daily Mirror:
‘Goal-hungry Les Ferdinand hammered his second hat-trick in three days then sent a message to Graham Taylor: “I’m ready for England.”
QPR’s powerhouse striker followed on the first treble of his senior career against Forest on Saturday as he sent Everton crashing to their heaviest home defeat for nine years. Ferdinand’s treble came in 12 devastating minutes just before and after half-time and took his season’s tally to 21. Now he hopes the sudden goal-burst will clinch his place in Taylor’s England team for the World Cup clash with Holland at Wembley later this month. He said: “I’m back to my best form just in time for England.”
Before this game all but one of his goals had come at Loftus Road and he added: “I’ve been aware of my poor away record and I came here today thinking I was going to improve it. But it’s hard to believe I did it with a hat-trick so soon after getting the first one of my career.” Ferdinand was praised both by his own boss, Gerry Francis, and Everton’s shattered manager Howard Kendall. Francis said: “Les was frightening today with his strength and pace. I’ve no doubt he’ll be in the England squad – and he must have given himself a great chance of actually playing.” And Kendall buried his disappointment to say: “He has done a one-man demolition job on us.”
Andrew Impey opened the floodgates after 5 minutes by crashing in a left-foot shot. Andy Sinton and Ferdinand both went close before Tony Cottee equalised on the half-hour with a jack-knife header. Then Ferdinand took over. Six minutes before the break he hammered home a 12-yard shot after good work by Bradley Allen and Sinton. He poached his second goal just 50 seconds into the second half, when Neville Southall allowed an Impey cross to squirm out of his arms, and completed his treble in the 51st minute with a powerful 15-yard shot.
David Bardsley piled on the agony for Everton in the 79th minute when he fired home a 25-yard shot. Then Rangers took their foot off the pedal and allowed Everton two consolation goals in the last three minutes through subs Stuart Barlow and Preki.’
Steve Russell
(Thanks to Martin Percival for the above scans of the programme)
The first ever away game i drove to fact and a great day out.
I was dreading the game earlier in the week but now Bernard and Flabio have gone I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be the dawning of a new era (to quote The Specials!) I will be delighted if we manage a draw.
Goodison is a great old traditional stadium. The first time I visited was for a 2-0 defeat for Rangers in March 1975 – at that time Goodison was absolutely top drawer. The next time was a year later with Stan Bowles and Micky Leach scoring in a cracking 2-0 win for Rangers in the run in to the end of the 1975/6 season. I was also there for Rangers games at the end of the 1983/4 season, just before Everton were in the FA Cup final, and a year later when they were presented with the League Championship. Always a good trip.
A proper football stadium for a proper football club.