please log in to view this image Very young Pompey squad, due to our injuries. Everton are playing fit again Seamus Coleman, the 29 year old Republic of Ireland captain.
please log in to view this image Alex Bass performed heroics for Pompey Reserves at Goodison Park. But the Blues keeper could not prevent a 3-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League Cup. A second-half double from Bassala Sambou settled the tie after Nathan Broadhead had fired the Toffees in front before the break. Bass, however, was the stand-out performer for Mark Kelly’s visitors – despite gifting Everton their third goal with a mishit clearance from a backpass. At a windy Goodison Park, a youthful Pompey line-up featured only the stopper, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Widdrington and Jez Bedford from the first-team squad. Meanwhile, their opponents named Repulic of Ireland skipper Seamus Coleman in their ranks. After Widdrington had picked up an early yellow card for a foul on the lively Broadhead, Bass was quickly into the action. He saved smartly from Antony Evans after 10 minutes to keep the scores level. Jordan Brooks was next in the book for a foul on Sambou before Broadhead fired over the top after a swift counter-attack on the half-hour. The Everton winger got it right on 32 minutes, though, as he latched on to a superb chipped ball over the top from Fraser Hornby to tuck the opening goal past Bass. He almost doubled his tally two minutes later before Evans was booked for a cynical foul on Bedford. Everton wasted no time in increasing their advantage after the interval. Sambou neatly controlled a throw-in from Luke Garbutt before swivelling and curling the ball beyond Bass from outside the box. Everton keeper Mateusz Hewelt made a great stop from Dan Smith. But then Bass came into his own, making a brilliant stop from Broadhead on the angle before acrobatically tipping a first-time effort from Evans over the bar. He repeated the feat soon after – again denying the Everton midfielder – before blotting his copybook with a clearance straight to Sambou to make it 3-0. Bass showed great character to shrug off that setback, though, and deny Evans yet again with a superb stop. Substitute Bradley Lethbridge had a great chance to net a consolation late on but failed to hit the target.
