Everton 0 Oldham Athletic 1: McDonald's drive propels Oldham to head of pack on underdogs' day

It was still all about money as the dust settled on the biggest of third-round Saturday's scattering of shocks and no one minded a jot. This time the lack of it was being aired rather than how it cascades nauseatingly into the pockets of the chosen few.

"We've got maybe four lads in there on 200-300 a week, so it's great for them to get a 75 win bonus," Oldham Athletic's veteran goalkeeper, Mark Crossley, said following one of the more surprising clean sheets of his 21-year career. "We're all on exactly the same. It will probably be double for the next round."

Crossley will have put something by from his days with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Fulham, and promised to be first to the bar as he departed Goodison with the intention of being "legless by midnight". "To come to a Premiership club and win is fantastic. It tops my career off brilliantly. I don't think I've played too often for such big underdogs. We were massive outsiders and to see the joy on everyone's faces is a pleasure. It's been a really special day."

Surely Oldham, 13th in League One, could only have pulled off this remarkable seventh successive away victory with their goalkeeper performing heroics? Not a bit of it. Assured and calming though he was under spells of pressure, Crossley was seldom troubled following a fine save from James Vaughan during an initial onslaught in which he feared "a bit of a tousing".

He was rescued by a goal-line clearance from Kelvin Lomax one of the team-mates barely out of nappies when Gary Lineker's penalty was famously saved in the 1991 final and by his post from Aiyegbeni Yakubu's toe-poke in the last seconds.

But Stefan Stam and Reuben Hazell, in particular, protected him magnificently either side of Gary McDonald's spectacular first-half stoppage-time exploitation of a much less convincing performance at the other end by Stefan Wessels.

The German stand-in was proof that David Moyes's faith in his fringe players getting the job done against such sprightly, disciplined opponents was sadly misplaced.

By choice or necessity, there were no Howard, Neville, Yobo, Arteta, Cahill, Osman and, until much later, Lescott and Yakubu. What no one should overlook, though, are the selection problems Oldham conquered in sending 6,000 fans delirious by reaching the fourth round for only the second time in 12 years.

Their central defender Neal Trotman, a first-round scorer, was suspended, ever-present midfielder Chris Taylor was out injured, Crossley and Lee Hughes were doubtful up to a kick-off delayed by a fire at the local chippie, and Ryan Bertrand and Neil Kilkenny had been recalled from loan stays; four enforced changes at a club where resting players is a totally alien concept.

For John Sheridan, a magical managerial memory to go somewhere near his playing peak scoring Sheffield Wednesday's winner in the 1991 League Cup final against Manchester United. For Moyes, a major recuperation task before tomorrow's Carling Cup semi-final at Chelsea.

"We lacked quality and craft," Moyes admitted. "It will take a couple of days to get this out of their system and I am angry with the result and performance. Maybe the fact we have a semi-final could have been playing on some minds but I can't accept excuses like that."

Goals: McDonald (45) 0-1.

Everton (4-4-2): Wessels; Hibbert, Stubbs, Jagielka, Baines (Lescott, 74); McFadden, Gravesen (Anichebe, 63), Carsley, Pienaar; Johnson, Vaughan (Yakubu, 63). Substitutes not used: Ruddy (gk), Anderson.

Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): Crossley; Eardley, Hazell, Stam, Lomax (Thompson, 84); Smalley, McDonald, Kalala, Allott; Hughes, Davies. Substitutes not used: Pogliacomi (gk), Wolfenden, Alessandra, Black.

Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).

Man of the match: Stam.

Attendance: 33,086.

Call from Capello?

Andy Johnson (Everton)

Was subdued too easily by Oldham's outstanding defence, and we saw Joleon Lescott only as a late substitute.