Everton rocked by five-goal Dinamo

Dinamo Bucharest 5 Everton 1

The Everton fans left grounded at Liverpool airport may have been the lucky ones.

David Moyes’ side were carved apart in Romania and now have a mountain to climb if a place in the second round of the UEFA Cup is to be secured.

These are difficult days for the Scottish coach, who led the club to fourth in the table beyond everyone’s expectations last season.

Everton are finding it difficult to win a match now – this comprehensive defeat in this first leg match was their sixth in seven games.

During this barren spell they have exited the Champions League qualifiers - now they are on the point of being out of Europe before the end of the month.

Everton, however, looked the more threatening in the early stages but fell apart and conceded four goals in the second half.

Joseph Yobo almost put Everton ahead after 18 minutes when he skipped passed Zicu and rattled in a shot that Uladzimir Gaev did well to turn around the post.

This was a good spell by Moyes’s side with the Romanians looking a bit edgy in front of their own supporters.

Everton were stunned in the 27th minute when they went a goal down after a swift counter-attack.

Florentin Petre delivered the cross and Claudiu Niculescu bundled the ball home despite being under pressure from David Weir.

Everton could hardly believe it as they had enjoyed the majority of possession up until that point.

However their response was emphatic – they drew level three minutes later with what at the time looked to be a priceless away goal.

Yobo got on the end of an inswinging free-kick from Davies to head powerfully beyond goalkeeper Gaev to make it 1-1.

It was the Nigerian defender’s first goal in 16 months and he savoured the moment as did the Everton fans sprinkled around this old-fashioned arena.

But the home side remained full of running and were dangerous if a little bit erratic on the counter-attack.

Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn then did well to claw away a delicate chip from Zicu at the last moment.

There was a buzz of anticipation from the home fans when Niculescu shaped to take a free-kick 25 yards out in the 49th minute.

But he got underneath the ball and blazed a shot over the top, giving Martyn no trouble at all.

The Romanians egained the lead in the 52nd minute with a goal straight out of the top drawer.

Niculescu delivered a superb cross into the path of Zicu, who got a marvellous first touch to clip a shot beyond Martyn.

Dinamo were beginning to dictate the pace and Zicu was growing in confidence. He latched on to a through ball from Stefan Grigorie but Martyn raced off his line to smother the ball.

Zicu then picked out sub Florin Bratu and he burst past Yobo only for Martyn to clear with his feet.

This was a worrying spell for Everton, who had lost five of their previous six games against opposition at home and abroad.

Dinamo’s second goal had rattled the visitors and they were showing little of their early fluency.

Everton were having difficulty providing Marcus Bent with the kind of service a lone striker needs.

They had lost the midfield with McFadden, making his first start of the season, unable to get any quality crosses in.

Everton boss Moyes was constantly patrolling the touchline, pondering how he could turn things to his side’s advantage.

Dinamo though added a third in the 71st minute with a stunning strike from Petre out on the right.

This was becoming a rout and an embarrassment for Everton as they began to buckle under a wave of attacks.

Everton’s problems increased in the 75th minute when Dinamo extended their lead to 4-1.

Again it was a spectacular goal, this time from sub Florin Bratu as he delivered an unstoppable shot beyond Martyn.

Sub Duncan Ferguson almost pulled one back only for Bratu to get a fifth for Dinamo on the stroke of full time through Bratu.