I've gone for three like the OP, otherwise i could be here all day:
The 1989 Cup Final. In the whole build-up it was about how great a tribute it would be if Liverpool won for the ones that died. It was almost portrayed like we were the villains of the piece. I was still in school then and some mates were saying the same and acting like I shouldn’t really want Everton to win (the same schoolmates were moaning about the penalty they weren’t given in the 85 European Cup final a few years before, for a bit of perspective, mind). The worse thing was, there were times when we were saying to ourselves that maybe it wasn’t that important if we win…and that's what was annoying about it...especially as it was my first cup final at Wembley (i went the Charity Shield vs Coventry in 1987 previously) but come the day, the players- and fans- were up for it and desperate for the trophy, so I felt gutted at the final whistle and getting beat by them again was hard to take....then seeing the likes of Sheeds and Brace picking up another Cup runners-up medal was a downer...and Colin (probably the biggest blue of them all) not winning anything as manager was particularly sad.
Although that last minute equaliser was one of my favourite celebrations and something i still like to watch now and again, especially Big Dave storming down the right wing and assisting McCall's goal- then seeing the dreadful, excuse of a human, John Aldridge's face, knowing that he won't be the hero, is still worth a watch.
This was worse than 1986 for me at the time, as I felt in 86 we were as good, if not better than them and we’d win the league again in 87 with one or two signings (which we did). With the 89 one, it dawned on us that the team who won the title just two years earlier was breaking up. And the fact that it meant we never won anything with Colin (arguably the biggest Blue of all-time), makes it even worse looking back.
1-3 vs Sheffield Wednesday. 1998 (league game). This was near the end of the season, and we could be safe if we won that day and Bolton, away to Villa (I think). Howard, a man who looked completely out of time during his 3rd reign played 3 centre-halves that day and we looked all over the place- and they destroyed us in midfield, Di Canio had a field day and it was sad seeing Andy Hinchcliffe wearing their shirt too.
They dominated from the off and, in fairness, Howard changed the formation quite early as he could see how disastrous it was, and we at least had a go 2nd half. But in the end we were so inept and desperate, we threw Dave Watson on as striker. Coming out of Goodison to discover Bolton had beaten Villa- which meant while we were still ahead of them, but they had an easy home game the week after when we had an Arsenal team who were playing to win the league meant that it was probably the only time ever when I thought we’d go down (I never thought we’d go down at any time last season, not for one minute, even with Benitez and in 1994 I thought we’d somehow stay up….although being 2-0 down vs Wimbledon made me worry, obviously).
Fiorentina. 2008 Uefa Cup. I thought we might win the Uefa Cup that season, thought we had a really good chance- and we definitely better than the Rangers team that reached the final and easily won the group that featured the eventual winners (Zenit). One of Goodison’s best ever atmospheres and we battered them for the first 90 minutes, they looked shellshocked- the noise when Arteta’s drive went in was immense- and their keeper (Frey) had great game- and needed to- as we overwhelmed them. Great performance for 90 mins- looked a bit rocky in extra time though after that great effort.
I ‘listened’ to the penalty shoot-out from the concourse in the Paddock, i couldn't face watching it and paraded up and down, listening to the groans. So disappointed that day, but an air of inevitability about the shoot-out, maybe that feel of impending doom no matter what is something we're all too used to nowadays.
