Everton deservedly secured third place in the 2011 VTB Lev Yashin Cup with a convincing 2-0 win over hosts Dynamo Moscow on Saturday afternoon. The Toffees missed a penalty and received a harsh sending off before a Conor McAleny brace secured an impressive 2-0 victory.
Everton's captain Jose Baxter saw his first-half spot-kick hit the crossbar after Joao Silva was hauled down inside the area. The scores were level at the break, and after the interval Everton were soon down to 10 men following the dismissal of Aristote Nsiala.
Everton showed their fighting spirit and a double from Conor McAleny was enough to earn a bronze medal, whilst simultaneously making sure that it was an awful weekend for the hosts.
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After seeing his charges lose narrowly to German side SC Freiburg on Friday, coach Alan Stubbs made four changes to his U21 line-up. Conor McAleny replaced Apostolos Vellios in attack, Luke Garbutt came in for Jake Bidwell at left-back, Jordan Barrow took up the central midfield role in place of John Lundstram and, in a late change, Shkodran Mustafi pulled out and was replaced by Aristote Nsiala in the heart of defence.
That meant that Everton lined up in a 4-4-2 formation as follows: Adam Davies; Tyias Browning, Aristote Nsiala, Shane Duffy, Luke Garbutt; Jordan Barrow, Jose Baxter (c), Adam Forshaw, Araz Abdullayev; Conor McAleny, Joao Silva.
The Everton substitutes were; Mateusz Taudul, Jake Bidwell, Shkodran Mustafi, John Lundstram, Anton Forrester, Apostolos Vellios and Hallam Hope.
Everton started the game brightly an Joao Silva was presented with the game's first real chance after being sent clean through. The Portuguese forward lifted the ball over the 'keeper, but his shot clipped the post and bounced agonisingly out of play. Conor McAleny also had a good chance in a lively opening spell from for the visitors.
Minutes later, and with Everton doing all the pressing, Silva was hauled down inside the area and the referee had no option but to award Everton a penalty. Jose Baxter stepped up, but drilled his effort against the crossbar and the sides remained level at the break.
At the interval Vellios was introduced as Everton pushed for a breakthrough goal, and recently-signed Polish goalkeeper Mateusz Taudul came on for his Everton debut.
Soon after the interval Everton found themselves down to 10 men after defender Aristote Nsiala received his marching orders. A yellow for an 'elbow' was quickly followed by another for dissent (from a Russian referee whom he could barely understand), and the centre-half was harshly sentenced to an early bath.
Undeterred, Everton kept pressing and no sooner had Nsiala finished running his bath had Everton taken the lead. Greek substitute Apostolos Vellios put through Conor McAleny, who lifted the ball over the 'keeper to put the 10 men in front.
McAleny notched his and Everton's second just a few minutes later to cap off an excellent display by the Young Toffees, who will return to England with the bronze medal.
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