Posh have chance to make Goodison Park history

Goodison Park is in its last season of hosting Everton home games after 137 years

Darren Ferguson's Peterborough United head for Goodison Park on Thursday to help kick off this season's FA Cup third round hoping to cause a shock against Everton.

It could be a history-making trip to Merseyside if Ferguson's Posh, 19th in League One, were to knock out the Premier League strugglers.

With the summer move to Bramley Moore Dock now signed and sealed, it would make it the last FA Cup tie ever to be held at the famous old stadium, which Everton have used since leaving Anfield in 1892.

But, despite the hosts' ongoing battle against relegation and the threat of starting next season in their new home in the Championship, Ferguson is well aware of how tough a job Posh have still got on against Everton, cup winners in 1995 but now itching for silverware, having won nothing since.

"When you get to the third round, you always hope you get a Premier League side but it's just coincidental that it's Everton in the last season at Goodison Park," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgehere.

"They've had indifferent times in terms of new ownership. And I know they're not doing that great in the league - but they're a Premier League side for a reason.

"They've still got some outstanding players. Far better than we're used to playing against."

Everton have won the famous old trophy five times, while Posh's best effort was reaching the quarter-finals in 1965, although they did get to round five in 2022 before losing to Manchester City.

Sean Dyche (left) and Darren Ferguson have 1,388 games of managerial experience between them

It will be only the second time the two clubs have met, Everton having won 2-1 at Peterborough in the League Cup in September 2006 - and it is Posh's first trip to Goodison.

But Ferguson is a long-time footballing acquaintance of Everton boss Sean Dyche, famously a cup semi-finalist with Chesterfield in 1997.

"They couldn't have a better man in charge in terms of his experience," said Ferguson. "He's a top guy, regardless of the success he's had. He's never changed.

"But we're a capable team. Sean knows that. We've just got to go out and put in a performance."

Dyche said his team had to find a way of handling any potential "banana skin".

"Darren is someone I know and I value his work," he told BBC Radio Merseyside. "He's been in and out of Peterborough on a number of occasions, but virtually every time he goes in there he does a great job.

"They'll come here looking for that scalp, that banana skin, all the rest of it. So we've got to handle that situation, deal with it and go somewhere. I don't take any team for granted. I've played at all the levels."

Everton's injury problems remain - and Dyche admits they may be without winger Dwight McNeil and England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as well as new casualty Youssef Chermiti.

"Chermiti is out long term, so Armando Broja is in contention," Dyche added.

"McNeil is out this week. That's taking a long time to settle down. And DCL has an ankle problem so could miss out too.

"But it's just another game. That's very important and it grows with importance that if you're not winning here, every game becomes massive. So it's just another really, really big game."

Added to that is the growing possibility of a father v son meeting between 39-year-old Everton left-back Ashley Young and his 18-year-old son, Posh midfielder Tyler Young, whose only previous first team appearance was in the EFL Trophy in October.

"Tyler will be on the bench," confirmed Ferguson. "And it's not just because his dad is Ashley. There's footballing reasons behind it. And I have to have nine subs."