LONDON, Feb 17: Crewe Alexandra forced a lucrative replay against premier league strugglers Everton after earning a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park in a turgid FA Cup fifth round match on Sunday.

Despite the presence of David Ginola and Paul Gascoigne, Everton barely created a chance in the entire match against their first division opponents, who went closest to breaking the deadlock when Rob Hulse hit the crossbar in the second half.

The first competitive game between the two teams had been put back 30 minutes so as not to clash with the Sunday service at the church on the corner of Goodison Park, and Everton fans were praying for improvement after a dire opening period.

Sunday’s results:

Chelsea 3 Preston (I) 1

Everton 0 Crewe (I) 0

Tottenham Hotspur 4 Tranmere (II) 0

—Reuters