Chaos, commotion and cards like confetti – Goodison Park gets its fitting derby ending

The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park ended in a draw with Everton’s James Tarkowski rescuing a point against Liverpool in the dying seconds

The banner on the Gwladys Street End unveiled before the game read “There are places I’ll remember”.

This was a final ever Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park that will certainly be remembered by the blue half at least.

A fitting finale as James Tarkowski’s late, late equaliser sparked chaos and commotion. Red cards flew about like confetti as blue smoke filled the air. Abdoulaye Doucoure, Curtis Jones and Arne Slot were the recipients from Michael Oliver as stewards tried to calm a stadium going wild.

The Toffees said farewell to the longest-running derby in top-flight English football at the Grand Old Lady with one final few minutes of madness.

The goal brought fans on the pitch. The emotion overflowed. As it so often has in this famous fixture through the years since the first ever one in 1894.

It meant the bragging rights for this derby at this ground are forever shared. 41 wins apiece in 120 games after the 38th – and final – draw here.

But, as “Grand Old Team” was played out over the tannoy here for the final time after a derby, this felt like a victory for the hosts. They denied Liverpool leaving here with a victory that would have hung over the Blues for an age. They’ll talk about this one for a while on one side of Merseyside.

Thousands lined Goodison Road outside of the ground to welcome the team coaches for the 120th and final derby here. There were fans standing on the windowsills of the Wilmslow Hotel pub across the road to get a better view at around 6pm.

While the smell of the pyro filled the air as blue smoke from the flares floated along the road above the heads of the supporters.

Inside the ground, the Gwladys Street End was littered with stunning banners remembering their heroes of this fixture through the years.

The travelling support had their say with the “30” balloons bouncing around the away end to remind the Toffees’ that their last success was the FA Cup back in 1995.

The banner reading “At least an empty cabinet is easier to move” had a touch of Scouse wit about it as they pointed to their rivals’ impending departure to Bramley Moore Dock with no additions to where they keep their trophies in recent times.

This ground was opened in 1892 when Everton moved across Stanley Park and the first derby followed in 1894. The Toffees won the first one and will feel like they won the last.

There have been plenty of great games and almost as many bad ones. This sits somewhere in the middle but with a memorable finish.

Not long after Mo Salah scored Liverpool’s second, the away end sung about winning the league at Goodison Park.

This result probably won’t stop the Reds from doing that in May but Everton will, at least, take joy in ensuring the final derby goal here was scored by a Blue and it didn’t end in defeat.

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