Everton 2-1 Rotherham: Abdoulaye Doucoure scores winner of extra time in FA Cup

Everton needed a winner in extra time from Abdoulaye Doucoure to finally beat Rotherham out of the championship and reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

But Rotherham forced Robin Olsen’s saves before Matthew Olosunde pulled off a well-deserved draw after the break.

A call from the VAR denied Tosun a second at the time of death, but substitute Doucoure led home a winner early in overtime.

It was tough for Rotherham, who would have earned a replay after he was leveled at the end of normal time if it weren’t for the need for FA Cup ties to be resolved in one match this year – that is, no replay, like Covid result. Impact of -19 on the soccer calendar.

On another day, a passive display by Everton for the entire 90 minutes might have been enough to break that tie, but Rotherham clearly envisioned the opportunity to reach the fourth round for the first time in 18 years and inject some joy into a difficult season battling against the descent for the Championship. .

After Tosun’s ingenious spike, his first Everton goal since 2019, Paul Warne’s team rallied, with Olosunde and Daniel Barlaser watching saves, while Matt Crooks looked at a header.

When Olosunde tied after the break, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti’s decision not to name top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Brazilian forward Richarlison on the bench made the home side look a bit vulnerable.

But it did feature Bernard and Doucoure, who were placed in the bottom corner to keep alive Everton’s hopes of landing a first major trophy since 1995.

Until next time?

Everton travel to the Wolves on Tuesday, while Rotherham has a week until they go to the Derby on January 16.

• Stream eight FA Cup third-round matches live this weekend on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app. Find out more here.