U23 Report: Everton 8-2 Saints

Saints wrestled control of the tie early on, finding themselves two goals to the good after 32 minutes played, but it wasn’t to last after an Everton resurgence caught Radhi Jaïdi’s side off-guard in the second period.

The visitors, fielding a particularly young side after first-team call-ups, were perhaps a little naive defensively, despite dominating large passages of play - particularly in the first 45.

The hosts scored six second-half goals to convincingly seal the three points, and move up to fourth in the Premier League 2 table, while Saints stay rooted in ninth.

The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute when defender Christoph Klarer met Jack Turner’s in-swinging corner, and deftly flicked the ball goalward, using the pace on the delivery to send it past Harry Tyrer.

Saints looked to be cruising midway through the half, when Marcus Barnes capitalised on some dogged work from Jake Vokins, as the ball broke lose in the area, allowing the forward to roll gleefully into an empty net.

But a quick-fire double from Everton wideman Anthony Gordon meant that all Saints’ good work was undone within two first-half minutes.

The winger, well found by Dennis Adeniran, put the finishing touch on a smart move in the 35th minute, curling past Jack Bycroft from the edge of the area, before converting from the spot a mere 90 seconds later.

Saints then suffered another blow shortly after the restart. Kayne Ramsay afforded Gordon yet another chance from the penalty spot, but this time it rattled the post and was consequently turned wide by Nathangelo Markelo on the rebound.

The respite didn’t last long, though. Defender Matthew Foulds headed the hosts in front on the hour mark, converting Evans’s corner, before a defensive mix up led to a golden chance for Harry Charley, which he side-footed past Bycroft.

Full-back Alex Denny added a fifth in the 70th minute, turning home a goalmouth scramble from a corner, before striker Evans and captain Morgan Feeney put the gloss on the tie from an Everton perspective, finding the net in the 78th and 84th minutes respectively.

Substitute Manasse Mampala compounded Saints’ frustration four minutes from time, completing the scoring with Everton’s eighth of the night.

Head to Head Stats

• Possession (%)
  55

  45
• Shots
  25

  9
• Shots on target
  14

  6
• Corners
  12

  4
• Passes Complete
  310

  225