Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles rewarded by Roberto Martinez after League Cup heroics

Joel Robles impressed Roberto Martinez with his perforamance against Norwich

GOALKEEPER Joel Robles has been told his reward for helping Everton into the Capital One Cup quarter-finals will be a place back on the substitutes’ bench.

 

Robles emerged as Everton’s hero as Roberto Martinez’s side overcame Norwich on penalties to reach the fifth round of the competition for only the second time in 28-years.

The Spanish stopper produced a string of saves in normal time to thwart the visitors and then saved Wes Hoolahan’s spot-kick before Nathan Redmond also missed the target from 12-yards as the hosts secured another come-from-behind win.

It was a timely performance from Robles, who stepped back into goal just four days after No1 Tim Howard was criticised for his display in Everton’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last Saturday.

Yet Martinez insisted his fellow countryman will not displace Howard for the time being and will be relegated back to the sidelines when Sunderland arrive at Goodison Park on Sunday.

 

Tim Howard congratulates Robles at full-time

“It's very clear (Tim will come back in),” said Martinez. “Joel has been playing in this competition and I trust him 100pc. In the same way Tim Howard is a very, very influential member of our squad.

“Nothing changes. Of course, we want to be better in terms of keeping clean sheets but it’s very easy and soft to look at the last man standing in the goal.

“Tim has incredible standards and he can't be happy with the goals we conceded at the weekend. But there's not even a doubt in terms of Tim Howard starting at the weekend.”

Everton’s success halted a run of four shoot-out defeats at Goodison Park, dating back to 1970 when Borussia Monchengladbach were defeated by a similar 4-3 margin with one of the Everton scorers Howard Kendall.

A giant picture of Kendall adorned the outside of the Main Stand, a striking show of respect to the former player and manager whose funeral takes place on Thursday.

And the fact that last of the two titles Kendall won was secured at Norwich in 1987 merely brought into focus how Everton seldom make life easy for themselves as they bid to reprise former glories.

They produced a disjointed display that was punished when Sebastien Bassong scored in the 51st minute – his first goal in three years.

Leon Osman equalised for Everton in the 68th minute, but it required an excellent save in the final minute of normal time from Robles to claw away Lewis Grabban’s header for Norwich and for extra-time and penalties to ensue.

Gerard Deulofeu, Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku and Darron Gibson were all on target for Everton, whose last appearance in the quarter-finals was in 2008.

 



Everton players celebrate their victory on penalties

The defeats to Chelsea, Arsenal and Leicester City opens up the possibility of a run in the competition, but Martinez is refusing to take anything for granted.

“You look at the results elsewhere and it shows how difficult it is to get in the position we are now,” said Martinez, who saw his side come from behind to beat Barnsley and Reading in the previous rounds.

“Our performance deserves a great amount of credit.

“We are delighted we are where we are, it's only the second time in the last 28 years. We can't take this lightly.

“We will look forward to the draw and see who we are going to face, but there's still a long way to get into a position where we think we can win a trophy.”