Kevin Ratcliffe believes Everton FC have learned FA Cup giant-killing lessons

IT WAS a game David Moyes and the Everton players involved will probably never forget - for all the wrong reasons.Everton's FA Cup third round humbling by Shrewsbury Town in 2003 was arguably one of the competition's shock results of the Noughties.The Toffees being bungled out of the cup by a side 80 places below them in the lower reaches of the then Third Division, came after they were outplayed for long periods at Gay Meadow.The biggest irony of the day was that the victorious minnows' manager was Everton's most successful captain - Kevin Ratcliffe.Unsurprisingly Ratcliffe still harbours fond if slightly mixed memories of the tie, but predicts a similar giant killing is unlikely when the Blues take on Carlisle United at Goodison Park tomorrow.He said: 'It's different this time because it's at Goodison Park. The biggest advantage a team like Carlisle could have hoped for was to get a home draw and make Everton go to them.'When we played them at Gay Meadow I wouldn't have changed the venue even if I could have switched it to Goodison. Funnily enough we had played Everton in that pre-season and I felt we had caused them a few problems.'Then when the day actually arrived for the tie, I honestly had a feeling we could do something. I saw the Everton team-sheet and it wasn't as strong as the side we had played in pre-season.'The Gay Meadow pitch was bobbly and not conducive to slick football, so I wasn't too worried about Wayne Rooney dropping deep. He was only 16 at the time anyway.'If anything I was concerned about Thomasz Radzinski's pace and balls being played over the top to him.'But generally there wasn't too much to frighten us. In the second half Everton were forced to regroup and make some changes to chase the game, and then we scored a cracking free kick.

Source: Liverpool_Echo