The image of Paul Rideout climbing to head past the stranded Peter Schmeichel will have to comfort Everton supporters for a little longer. Having hoped to end their 13-year wait for a return to Wembley, Everton came up short last night. Some will complain of misfortune but the statistics that show Everton have failed to register a win in seven matches against the "big four" this season suggest that David Moyes' team remain a work in progress.
There was no shortage of effort and endeavour here but against a team that specialise in containment Everton were unable to penetrate and always likely to be vulnerable to the type of goal that Joe Cole expertly converted. It was a cruel concession but one that emphasised the strides Everton must continue to make before silverware returns to Goodison Park. Until then Rideout's winning goal in the 1995 FA Cup final will serve as the benchmark for the current generation.
The disappointment at the final whistle was understandable. Several Everton players slumped to the turf while Moyes applauded from the touchline. The Everton manager was not alone in showing his appreciation. In keeping with the atmosphere that had accompanied an absorbing 90 minutes "Everton" reverberated around the stadium as the players, crestfallen and exhausted, left the field to an ovation from supporters.
Defeat in the semi-final of any competition is a chastening experience but progress is tangible on the blue half of Merseyside. Better sides than Everton have failed to beat Chelsea over two legs and, while the disappointment will be sure to needle Moyes and his players when they wake this morning, a place in the knock-out stages of the Uefa Cup and fourth position in the Premier League provide considerable grounds for optimism.
Moyes spoke afterwards about identifying the "missing ingredient" that will allow Everton to progress to the next stage and he was honest enough to concede that "the quality of the players" might provide the answers. Tim Cahill was a threat early on and Andy Johnson worked tirelessly, often chasing lost causes but the absence of a cutting edge in the final third was a salient feature as Chelsea, the masters of defending a lead, kept their ninth clean sheet in 11 away matches.
"Seize the day" proclaimed the back page of the Liverpool Echo, a message that captured the mood in these parts as Everton sought to overturn their first-leg deficit. Moyes was anticipating a special occasion and talked about welcoming "a new era".
The ebullient pre-match build-up seemed to inspire Everton early on but for all the pressure and possession during that period Chelsea were rarely troubled.
Moyes claimed that Cahill and Johnson both ought to have done better following Joleon Lescott's downward header in the 10th minute but the opportunity was no more than a half-chance. More presentable openings arrived in the second period as Everton, enjoying another spell of domination that promised a breakthrough, gave Chelsea cause to wheeze. It was no surprise that the mercurial Mikel Arteta was the source of Chelsea's uncomfortable moments.
First the Spaniard's corner was propelled towards Petr Cech by the onrushing Phil Neville before another quickly taken set-piece released Leon Osman. The Everton midfielder scuffed his shot but Phil Jagielka, who had earlier deflected Nicolas Anelka's shot on to the crossbar, improvised, using his backheel to direct the ball goalbound. Not for the first time Petr Cech was alert to the danger and the sense that Everton's chance had passed was reinforced moments later.
With little option but to commit numbers forward in search of the goal that would take the game into extra-time, Chelsea's threat on the counter-attack carried greater menace. Indeed there was a sense of inevitability when Florent Malouda's splendid pass released Joe Cole and the England midfielder, evincing the kind of composure in front of goal that Everton were lacking, controlled the ball with one touch and dispatched a crisp shot beyond Tim Howard with the second.
Hopes of reprising the achievements of Joe Royle's class of 95 had disappeared although Moyes knows that Everton are much closer than they have been for a long time. "We haven't been great in the cups," reflected Moyes.
"But we are looking a better side and because of that we don't want the wait to go on. Hopefully we can find that bit of magic that gets you into the echelons of winning cups and into the top four," the manager added.
