Sean Dyche shows his old weakness as Everton beaten at their own game

Even an injury-time winner was not the most dramatic event in Merseyside football in the last couple of days but there is a shared sense of gloom. While Liverpool mourn Jurgen Klopp’s planned departure, Everton’s disappointment stems from different reasons. As they were ejected from the FA Cup, Luton Town’s supporters chorused about going to Wembley; after last season’s play-off final, they have fond memories of the national stadium.

Yet if Everton claimed they merited a free kick when the Hatters took the lead and could point out that Cauley Woodrow’s decider came 14 seconds into the 96th minute – only five had been signalled – neither grievance had much weight. Luton had more cohesion and chances, more dynamism and drive. Perhaps they had more in reserve, too, with two substitutes, Luke Berry and Woodrow, playing pivotal parts in the decider.

If Sean Dyche’s sides tend to be set-piece specialists, they were beaten at their own game. Both Luton goals came from corners, just as they had prospered from dead-ball situations when achieving their maiden Premier League win at Goodison in September.

Everton can hope that, while losing the battles, they win the war. These sides are engaged in a broader battle for 17th place in the eventual standings. Dyche’s record offers optimism but made this a grimly predictable occasion. The trade-off in appointing him is that he can overachieve in the league and underachieve in knockout competitions. He has played in an FA Cup semi-final but has never managed in one. This latest setback joined a lengthy list of unimpressive exits throughout his coaching career.

It also extends Everton’s wait for silverware to three decades. Joe Royle, Everton’s last trophy-winning manager was watching and Everton can soon start planning the 30th anniversary celebrations of his 1995 triumph.

Initially, Everton sought solace from their history. The three times they have beaten Luton in the FA Cup, they have reached the final. They did little to secure a fourth victory and when it seemed these two teams were savouring FA Cup replays while they still can – each was taken to a second tie in the third round and a swift reunion beckoned in the fourth – Luton averted one.

Berry’s corner was met by Carlton Morris and while his header was cleared off the line by Arnaut Danjuma, Woodrow hooked in his second goal of the season from a couple of yards.

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The method of Everton’s undoing felt familiar. Luton led on 39 minutes when Alfie Doughty’s corner went in off Vitalii Mykolenko. It felt typical of a game of faulty finishing that the breakthrough came unwittingly. For Everton, the irritation was a nudge by their former player Ross Barkley on Dominic Calvert-Lewin: after the striker’s ludicrous red card against Crystal Palace, his ill-fated FA Cup continued, though it was harder to argue this was a major injustice. Barkley’s contribution was bookended with boos while Andros Townsend, a more recent departure, was applauded on his return to Goodison.

Barkley produced a decent display but the majority of Luton’s threat stemmed from Doughty’s excellent delivery. Morris met a second-half corner with a forceful header that drew a fine save from Joao Virginia. Jordan Pickford’s understudy made a second terrific stop to tip Elijah Adebayo’s shot wide when he escaped from the Everton defence.

Morris has one winner at Goodison to his name this season: but for a goalline clearance from Nathan Patterson, he may have got a second, following Townsend’s mazy run. Both he and Barkley had made way before the end but the Everton alumni ended up with grounds to celebrate.

Their old club did not. In the most traditional of competitions, Dyche played an old-fashioned 4-4-2. Calvert-Lewin and the summer signing Beto started together for the first time and combined, only for the profligate Portuguese to sidefoot wastefully wide after the ball fell to him six yards out.

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Previously hapless, Beto conjured a moment of class 10 minutes after the interval with a crossfield pass for Jack Harrison. His equaliser was well struck but still required a couple of moments of assistance from Luton: first Amari’i Bell slipped to let him shoot, then Tim Krul fumbled to let his effort squirm over the line.

It threatened a reprieve for Everton, a second chance. Even that was snatched from them. Not for the first time, Everton missed the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure. Calvert-Lewin provided a couple of chances for Beto but his own goal drought carried on for a 15th game. Dyche has argued, with a perverse logic, that the longer it goes on, the closer he gets to ending it but this was not that day and the FA Cup will afford him no more chances this season.

In a competition already shorn of some of their Premier League peers, this could rank as another missed opportunity for Everton. They have greater concerns but the highlight of their week came courtesy of Klopp’s announcement, not their own display.