Scoreless after normal time, 1-1 after extra time, Everton skipper Phil Neville hit the winning spot kick to dump holders Chelsea out of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge 4-3 on penalties. Prior to this result Chelsea had lost only one of their last 26 FA Cup ties whilst Everton had not beaten a Premier League team away in the competition since 1990.
Something had to give and it was the Blues record that went north in a less than impressive season and not the ideal preparation for Tuesday's Champions League clash which now appears to be their only chance of silverware this campaign.
In fairness Everton deserve to be meeting Reading in the last 16 of the FA Cup although they seemed to have missed their opportunity after failing to take advantage of an impressive first half showing.
The host's improved after the break but failed to take their chances and the game went into extra time and Frank Lampard looked to have done enough when he scored in the 105th minute.
But resilient Everton stunned Stamford Bridge by equalising in the final minute of extra time through a Leighton Baines free-kick.
And so to penalties and after Ashley Cole missed his effort Neville stepped forward to bury the ball past Petr Cech to spark scenes of unconfined joy amongst the Toffee's players and bench.
Referee: Phil Dowd
Venue: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,113
Chelsea scorers: Lampard 104 Everton scorers: Baines 119
CHELSEA 01 Cech 02 Ivanovic 03 A Cole 19 Ferreira 26 Terry 07 Ramires (yellow card) 08 Lampard 12 Mikel (Essien 46) 15 Malouda (yellow card) (Anelka 91) 11 Drogba 21 Kalou (Zhirkov 111)
Substitutes 22 Turnbull, 34 Bertrand, 05 Essien, 18 Zhirkov, 46 McEachran, 55 Sala, 39 Anelka
EVERTON 24 Howard 03 Baines (yellow card) 06 Jagielka 15 Distin (yellow card) 18 Neville 23 Coleman (yellow card) 10 Arteta (yellow card) 17 Cahill (Bilyaletdinov 70) 21 Osman (Heitinga 95) 25 Fellaini 16 Beckford (Anichebe 80)
Substitutes 01 Mucha, 02 Hibbert, 05 Heitinga, 34 Shane Duffy, 07 Bilyaletdinov, 28 Anichebe, 37 Baxter
