Everton battled hard only to come unstuck in the dying seconds as they fell to a 2-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United on Saturday evening.
An explosive contest, that saw 38 attempts at goal in all, ended with Anthony Martial tucking home in the 93rd minute with the coolest of finishes.
Prior to that, Chris Smalling's own goal - coming after some positive play by sub Gerard Deulofeu - had cancelled out Marouane Fellaini's earlier opener to set the tone for a dramatic conclusion.
Relive how the entertaining 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup semi-final meeting between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. This really is a massive game in the English capital, as two sides who have vastly underperformed so far this season lock horns for the 12th time in this famous competition with the hope of prolonging their campaign by a few more weeks.
It is a particularly big evening of football ahead for managers Louis van Gaal and Roberto Martinez who, if reports are to be believed, are both on their way out of their respective clubs this summer regardless of any silverware picked up between now and May. Only time will tell on that front, of course, but there is no denying that a win here today will help their cause hugely.
TEAM NEWS!
EVERTON XI: Joel, Baines, Gibson, Stones, Jagielka, Lukaku, Lennon, Cleverley, McCarthy, Besic, Barkley
MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Lingard, Rooney, Martial, Rashford
Some very interesting team news, indeed, but we will start by taking a look at a familiar-looking Manchester United side that shows four changes from last time out. Marcos Rojo is among the starters this evening to earn his 50th appearance for the club, and Van Gaal has made a big call in midfield where Marouane Fellaini is preferred to the more combative Morgan Schneiderlin.
Tim Fosu-Mensah and Michael Carrick are the other two additions to the starting XI, replacing Antonio Valencia and Juan Mata in the side, while Darmian and the aforementioned Schneiderlin also make way. Mata is on the bench for the Red Devils this evening, incidentally, so that appears to be a tactical call made by Van Gaal who clearly does not want to set out his side too attacking.
There was plenty of attacking intent on display in the midweek win over Palace, albeit in a game that United were always expected to win fairly comfortably, and Van Gaal has decided to stock with his attacking quartet. Wayne Rooney starts for the third game in succession on his injury comeback, while breakthrough star Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard are also given the nod.
Truth be told I am still trying to work out exactly how Everton plan to line-up for this one, but it appears as though John Stones - a big fitness doubt in the build-up to today's game - will be shoved out to the right flank to cover for the injured Seamus Coleman. Phil Jagielka is another who has been fit enough to start, filling in at the heart of defence, while Mohamed Besic looks to be positioned alongside him.
Alternatively, it may well be that Martinez has surprised us all and gone with a 3-5-2 formation due to the vast number of injury issues. That would mean Aaron Lennon possibly filling at at wing-back, with the more suited Leighton Baines doing likewise on the opposite flank. Besic, Jagielka and Stones would then take up central defensive roles. It will take until the match gets underway to fully make sense of it, that's for sure.
Less surprises in attack, meanwhile, as Romelu Lukaku leads the way up top going in search of his seventh goal in this competition for the Toffees. In fact, the prolific striker has scored in all six of his previous FA Cup matches for Everton, so if you are a betting man you could do a lot worse than shoving a few quid on him finding the net at some stage today! Ross Barkley is also given a start, but there is of course no Ramiro Funes Mori who misses out through suspension.
BENCH WATCH!
EVERTON SUBS: Howard, Hibbert, Oviedo, Mirallas, Deulofeu, Osman, Pennington
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Darmian, Valencia, Herrera, Mata, Schneiderlin, Memphis
Tony Hibbert would have been desperate for the rarest of starts this evening, but you cannot really blame Martinez for looking for a more regular option to fill in for Funes Mori at the back. Matthew Pennington, recalled from his Walsall loan spell this week, is another who was in contention to start but will have to settle for a back-up role. Herrera, Mata, Schneiderlin are just three of five midfield options for the Red Devils to choose from, meanwhile.
Has Roberto Martinez ever faced more pressure over his team selection before? The Spaniard, massively under pressure following recent results, has had his hand forced just a little by suspension issues and mounting injury problems. It may be a 3-5-1 formation for the Toffees this evening, or indeed a 4-5-1, but either way Martinez needs his group of players to put in a vastly improved showing at this famous stadium.
So a massive couple of hours ahead for the Toffees, then, as they desperately seek to end their barren recent run of results to book a place in the final of the FA Cup. In the space of a couple of years Martinez has gone from a messiah of sorts, bringing a fresh wave of positivity following the David Moyes reign, to a perceived flop who is now living on borrowed time. Is there any way back for the Spaniard after Wednesday's calamity at Anfield?
Everton have failed to win any of their last six in all, while it is just one win in eight going further back. That heavy setback at Liverpool in midweek, which Martinez himself described as "a disaster" for his side, really did take things to a new low. Yet there is still just a glimmer of hope for the Spaniard, who knows that a victory by any margin this evening and all of a sudden many supporters will be back on his side. Surely no side would contemplate sacking a manager in the weeks leading up to a cup final, would they?
In terms of their current league position, Everton found themselves down in 11th place prior to this afternoon's games elsewhere, with the gap on the top half - their minimum target, really - standing at six points and the top five a whopping 18 points out of reach. It really has been a poor season for a side boasting some real talents across the park, particularly when taking into account the success of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, and to a lesser - but more relevant - sense, West Ham United.
Today is all about the FA Cup, though, the one competition that has given Martinez and Everton supporters in general a welcome respite over the past few months. The early rounds saw the Toffees comfortably see off lower-league opposition, as they brushed aside Dagenham & Redbridge and Carlisle United in an efficient manner. Then came a trickier-looking test away at Bournemouth, which they again passed with flying colours to set-up a quarter-final tie against Chelsea last time around.
That was a very cagey match for 75 minutes, in truth, with both sides a little reluctant to push on too much knowing just how costly defeat would be. In the end Everton progressed through thanks to a late rally on home soil, in a match that will be best remembered for Diego Costa's outburst in the dying stages. The Toffees have incredibly yet to concede a goal on their run to the last four, scoring nine without reply across their four matches thus far.
DID YOU KNOW? This is Everton's 26th appearance at this stage of the competition - a tally bettered only by Arsenal and today's opponents Manchester United, both of whom have made it this far times (excluding replays). The Toffees have made it past this stage on exactly half of those occasions, winning 13 and losing 13 of their semi-final matches. Something therefore has to give this evening.
The Merseyside outfit, who hold claim to one of the worst home records in the country at this moment in time, have progressed in six of their last seven semi-final ties. That defeat did came last time out, however, as they fell to a crushing loss to rivals Liverpool in 2012. Decent enough pedigree overall, though, it must be said - something which suggests that this contest really could go either way come the end of play in the English capital.
While Everton's slide does not appear to be showing any signs of slowing at this moment in time, it has been a different story for opponents Man United of late who have now lost just one of their last eight in all competitions. Their league form has been steady enough on the whole, leaving them in fifth place but surely too far adrift of Arsenal and Manchester City to secure Champions League football next season.
It has been a difficult second season at Old Trafford for Louis van Gaal, who has had to fend off plenty of questions about his long-term future as manager of the club. The Dutchman has a habit of pulling off a big result at his time of need, though - as witnessed against West Ham United in the quarter-final of this competition - and he knows that a win at Wembley today will keep him in the hot seat until at least the summer.
The Red Devils will continue battling away for a top-four finish which, combined with cup success, would constitute a decent enough season on the face of it. Missing out on a Champions League finish, though, and lifting the FA Cup may merely be incidental as far as Van Gaal is concerned. There was plenty of promise in that victory over Crystal Palace recently, but the Dutchman has tinkered with his side once more today and a return to the more conservative approach may be on the cards.
This is the 28th time that United have made it this far, as touched upon a little earlier, and they have made it beyond this stage on on 18 of those occasions. The Red Devils hardly boast the finest pedigree in the FA Cup over the past decade or so, however, as they have lost their last two semi-final clashes and not gone all the way since 2004. That means no player in this squad has a winner's medal to their name, including skipper Wayne Rooney.
You also have to go back to 2007 to find the last time United even made it to the final, when they fell to a 1-0 defeat in the blandest of finals to mark Wembley's grand opening. It is worth mentioning that the country's most successful side did progress in their previous 13 semi-final showdowns prior to that aforementioned run, winning the competition 11 times in total. Either way you look at it, this club desperately needs to get back into the rhythm of winning trophies.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! This is the third FA Cup semi-final meeting between these two English heavyweights, with Everton coming out on top in the previous two. Colin Harvey scored the only goal of the game back in 1966 at Burnden Park, while penalties were needed to get the job done in 2009. A note of caution - just eight goals have been scored in the last eight cup encounters between the sides.
They have met 11 times in this competition overall; again Everton edging things with six wins to United's five. The Red Devils have won three of the four most recent meetings overall, though, including twice already this season. History suggests that this one will be extremely tough to call, although ultimately only one side can prevail in one of the biggest cup semi-final showdowns in the recent past.
With kickoff now less than 10 minutes away, let us check out some of the pre-match thoughts from both camps heading into this FA Cup semi-final tie at Wembley Stadium.
Roberto Martinez: "We carry hurt and that's normal after what happened in the last game, but clearly the focus is about the opportunity of being in the semi-final of the FA Cup. Since the quarter-final against Chelsea, results haven't been good enough, and that's something we'll try to look into next week when we face the next league game."
Louis van Gaal: "It it not for me to judge he importance of this match - I have said that already in former press conferences. I do my utmost best and I have said that. We are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, we are still in the race for the fourth position in the Premier League and that was our aim."
"It is not for me to judge the importance of this match," claims Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman remained as coy as ever in the build-up to today's match, instead leaving it to those inside the stadium to make it clear just how much this match means. The top four is surely out of question in the Premier League; ending the season with an FA Cup trophy is now the best bet, and that would not be the worst way to bring down the curtain on an overall troubling campaign.
Martinez admits that results simply have not been good enough for his side, meanwhile, knowing that his fate may already have been decided prior to a ball being kicked this evening. It is certainly a tough period for the Everton boss, who must simply gear his side up for this match in the hope that a victory - no matter how it comes about - will keep supporters largely on his side until the summer. At least that is the theory!
The atmosphere has been building all day at Wembley, with 32,000 Evertonians inside the ground and the same number from across the North West in Manchester descending on the English capital for this cup tie. What a huge game of football we are in for, which is now just moments away!
KICKOFF! Manchester United, sporting their red and black home kit, get us underway at Wembley. The Toffees still yet to concede in this season's FA Cup, remember, having scored nine without reply in their four games thus far. Vital that they keep that record intact this evening.
Lingard, getting his first taste of action at Wembley today at long last, is unable to keep a sweeping Rooney pass in play. High pressing by both sides from the off, as they each look to make a positive early start in front of a capacity crowd.
OFF THE LINE! A first sight of goal for Martial, who manages to work a shooting position inside the box only to see his shot blocked away for a corner which Fellaini heads into the hands of Robles. Everton break quickly and Lukaku rounds De Gea despite a heavy first touch, but the Belgian's shot was superbly cleared off the line by Rooney who tracked right back.
Cleverley a little unhappy that Lukaku did not look up and pick him out when through on goal, but you can hardly blame the Belgian for taking on the shot. A heavy first touch ultimately let him down, though that is a real sign of what the Toffees are capable of when getting forward quickly.
Not far away at all from Smalling, as he gets the smallest of flicks onto Rooney's free kick from the left to send the ball inches wide of the far post. Real explosive start to the match so far, with the best chance falling the Merseyside outfit's way a few minutes ago.
SHOT! United look to have goals in them through this explosive front three. Martial was almost played clean through, but a poor first touch let him down and he narrowly mistimed his run anyway as the offside flag went up. Up the other end Barkley's shot is on target but lacking any real power to beat De Gea.
SAVE! Incredible start to this game! Rashford was in behind one moment, only for his cutback to be cleared away. Rooney's ball over the top then found Lingard completely unmarked in front of goal, but his first-time shot was kept out by Robles who made a good reaction save.
It is actually United who have made the better start to this game, despite that huge early chance for Lukaku. The Red Devils are playing with some real freedom in attack - something we have not seen a lot of across the season to date. Can either side capitalise on this open feel to the game?
CHANCE! Lukaku in on goal for a second time today, albeit from a difficult angle with De Gea this time stationed between his sticks. The Belgian took the shot on but United's stopper made a simple enough save down low with his legs to keep the ball out.
Plenty of shots already inside the opening quarter of the game, but still no breakthrough at Wembley. Not sure quite how long this open feel to the contest will last, with both sides seemingly desperate to find the opening goal.
So disappointing from Martial, who is the latest to be slipped through only to blast his effort well over the bar. Composure was the key ingredient required there, but the youngster was unable to keep his cool when required from an admittedly tough position.
Both sides have had a couple of decent chances to open the scoring so far, the best of which fell Romelu Lukaku's way inside the opening five minutes at Wembley. Wayne Rooney got back to head the Belgian's effort off the line, though, denying the Toffees a dream start.
SAVE! Losing count of the amount of half-chances for both sides! Rashford was picked out with a smart pullback, but he could only divert the ball into the arms of Robles down low. That came just a few minutes after Martial's wayward effort from the opposite side.
Things just beginning to quieten down a little, although it is still the Red Devils who look the more likely to score on the basis of the past 10 minutes or so. It really has been a brilliant cup semi-final so far; one which will hopefully remain this competitive throughout.
SHOT! Everton playing much better over the past few minutes in terms of their possession, opting to keep hold of the ball rather than going long to Lukaku. McCarthy gets in a shot at the end of this latest attack from his left boot, but it was another simple one for De Gea down the middle.
The chances have just dried up in the second quarter of this match, which is not that surprising really. Both teams now having to be a little more patient in their build-up play, with United looking the better of the two sides in that regard.
SAVE! Not the worst of attempts from Rooney, who fires away from range and forces Robles to stretch a little. Again, it was not the hardest of saves, but for every 100 of those shots 90 will find the net.
GOAL! EVERTON 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (MAROUANE FELLAINI)
Manchester United lead at Wembley thanks to a former Everton player! Marouane Fellaini was picked out in a fairly central position by Martial, sending his rather scuffed shot beyond Robles to give the 11-time winners a lead that is probably just about deserved on the balance of things.
United the side in the ascendency now as we head into the final eight minutes or so of this entertaining first half. A big period in the match ahead for the Toffees, who must ride this wave without seeing the deficit get any worse prior to the break.
That strike means that Fellaini has scored twice as many goals in the FA Cup than the Premier League this season, perhaps explaining why he was brought back into the starting lineup for this one. United made it so straightforward, but questions must be asked of the Toffees' defending - Besic in particular.
Plenty of noise being generated by the travelling Mancunians inside Wembley now, while Everton's fans are looking just a tad dejected. Half time not far away now, with neither side truly looking like scoring prior to the midway point.
A rare attack for Everton ends when a Barkley back-heel is cut out. United are able to play their way out of danger through Martial, who earns his side a free kick. Two minutes until the interval, which I think both teams would probably take about now.
Just the one added minute to be played at Wembley. The tempo has died down since United made the breakthrough, which is not that surprising following such an explosive opening quarter to the match.
HALF TIME: EVERTON 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
Anthony Taylor brings the first half to a close; a half that was incredibly open but ends with Man United a goal to the good. Everton's best chance came just a few minutes in, when Lukaku rounded De Gea only for his shot to be headed off the line by a backtracking Rooney. The Belgian was to be denied by the Spaniard again later in the half, but that was about as good as it got for the Toffees.
Barkley and McCarthy also fired away shots on target, which De Gea never really had to break into a sweat to keep out. The Red Devils' first opening fell the way on Lingard, meanwhile, whose first-time attempt at the end of a sweeping Rooney pass was kept out by Robles. Rooney and Martial were the next United players to test the Everton keeper, but again it was all very straightforward.
United did eventually make a deserved breakthrough 34 minutes in, however, as Fellaini fired home from close range when picked out by Martial. The Frenchman burst into the box, getting the better of Besic to find his teammate in a central position. That proved to be the end of the first-half chances, with the game rather petering out from that point.
BENCH WATCH!
EVERTON SUBS: Howard, Hibbert, Oviedo, Mirallas, Deulofeu, Osman, Pennington
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Darmian, Valencia, Herrera, Mata, Schneiderlin, Memphis
He just had to score, didn't he?! Marouane Fellaini, an ex Everton player, scored the only goal of the first half to give Manchester United the lead at this midway stage.
RESTART! We are back underway at Wembley, with neither manager making any changes at the interval. A massive half of football ahead for both of these sides, who each simply need to win today.
A very good run from Stones right through the heart of United's midfield, before playing the ball down the right flank for Lennon to run on to. The winger was simply blocked out by Blind, in a legal manner according to the ref, as the opening attack of this half came to a disappointing halt.
Everton very much the team in control of possession early in this second half, looking to move the ball up the field towards main man Lukaku. He has scored in every FA Cup tie he has played for the Toffees, remember, so do not bet against him bagging another today.
A free kick in a promising position for Everton, out on the far left, is rather wasted as United clear their lines. Promising enough start to the half from the Toffees, who remain in the ascendency with 38 minutes still left to play.
CHANCE! Glorious chance for Lingard, really, as he is picked out just inside the box in plenty of space. It was a fine move from the Red Devils, with Fosu-Mensah given all the time in the world to maraud down the right before picking out Martial who back-heeled to Lingard.
PENALTY TO EVERTON! Huge, huge moment in this game - and indeed the season! Barkley takes far too long to get a shot away in the box, and he never actually managed to shoot at all as Fosu-Mensah brought him down inside the box. Anthony Taylor points to the spot.
PENALTY SAVED! Oh my word! Everton, and Lukaku in particular, fail to take their big chance. The Belgian sends his pen to De Gea's left, but the Spaniard was superbly across to push it aside. Probably justice, too, because that was such a harsh call made by Taylor when pointing to the spot.
SAVE! Another save for De Gea to make, albeit it far easier than the penalty stop a few moments ago. Barkley's free kick was heading for the bottom corner if not for the Spaniard's intervention. Everton need to make the most of this dominant spell.
CHANCE! Everton doing everything but putting the ball in the net at the moment. Lennon does well down the right, floating one towards the back post which Cleverley somehow blasts over the bar from a great position.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Timothy Fosu-Mensah is replaced by Antonio Valencia, with Van Gaal sensing that Everton are well on top now. Lukaku, put off by Besic behind him, heads over his side's latest attempt.
SAVE! Well I was about to say Robles just made one of the biggest saves of his life to keep out Fellaini from close range, but replays show that Jagielka actually kept it out with his own hand when diving in. He didn't mean it, in fairness, but that is still a penalty and automatic red card if seen by the ref.
Van Gaal needs to make another change or two, because that Everton goal is coming. Cleverley fluffed his lines with a half-chance 10 yards out a few moments ago - the latest of a wave of attacks from the Toffees. Thirty minutes left to play of this thrilling cup tie.
EVERTON SUB! Lennon is off and Gerard Deulofeu on in his place. A smart change by Martinez out wide, as the tricky wideman has terrorised the United defence in the past - an added option for Everton in attack for the remainder.
Rooney's deflected effort looked to be awkward for Robles, but he comfortably plucked the ball out of the air in the end. A rare reprieve for the Red Devils, who have had just one other real attacking move of their own in this second half.
A terrible pass from Stones, aimed in the direction of nobody in particular, leads to some frustrated groans around one half of Wembley. Lukaku tells his teammate to play the ball into his feet - something we have not seen enough of in this second half.
GOAL! EVERTON 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (CHRIS SMALLING, OG)
It's a real horror moment for Smalling, who turns Deulofeu's teasing cross beyond De Gea and into his own net. The Englishman appeared to go with his wrong foot when clearing, with the ball destined for the goal the second he slid in. Martinez's sub pays almost immediate dividends!
Well what a climax to this game we now have on our hands, with the added incentive of extra time. De Gea was celebrating earlier in the half when keeping out Lukaku's pen, but there was to be no repeat when Smalling turned home at the front post.
CHANCES! Everton should be in front. Some more superb play from Deulofeu, this time down the left, before getting in a shot which De Gea could only push into the centre of his box. Lukaku somehow failed to get on the end of it, and the Belgian was wide of the mark from a close-range header moments later.
CHANCE! My word - what a game! A cross at one end goes right through the box without a telling touch. Up the other, Everton break and have a man over, but Lukaku's shot is superbly blocked aside by Fellaini. This will surely not finish 1-1 in normal time!
Fellaini's weak header is collected easily by Robles, bringing what appears like the 1,000th attacking move of this game to an end. That, incredibly, is the 34th attempt of the match, but still just the one goal apiece. Extra time awaits at Wembley Stadium.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Ander Herrera is brought on in place of Fellaini, who leaves the field to cheers from one half of Wembley and boos from the other. Things have finally quietened down over the past couple of minutes, which gives both sets of players a chance to catch their breath.
YELLOW CARD! Superb effort from Martial with an overhead kick, which is blocked away by McCarthy to deny a winning goal. Herrera brings down a charging Barkley to earn a yellow just moments after entering the fray. Barkley also booked for dissent.
Three added minutes to come at Wembley - plenty of time for a hero to come forward. It is not looking that way at the moment, though, as the chances have dried up at both ends all of a sudden.
De Gea's clearance is closed down well by Lukaku, but the Belgian gets no luck whatsoever with the ball bouncing wide of goal. Both sets of supporters, and indeed both sets of players, are now resigned to a further 30 minutes of play.
GOAL! EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (ANTHONY MARTIAL)
Manchester United have won it in the final minute of additional time! How cruel for the Toffees, who have performed so well this half and could have won the game themselves with one of their numerous chances. The ball was played through for Martial, who did well to keep his cool and tuck into the corner. Spark scenes of joy around the red half of Wembley!
FULL TIME: EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
Referee Anthony Taylor blows the full-time whistle to bring this entertaining FA Cup clash to a close. Well it was a game fitting of that late drama, as Anthony Martial proved his worth once more to tuck home at the death, but it is the cruellest of twists for Everton who may now swing the axe on boss Roberto Martinez.
We saw 38 attempts in all under the famous arch, which is surely close to a record for a final-four tie. In the end it was Manchester United who prevailed, thanks in large to the world's most expensive teenager Anthony Martial - that is why you sometimes have to spend big! That is all from Wembley, but be sure to stick around for plenty of reaction from both camps over the coming hours.
