Match ends, Apollon Limassol 0, Everton 3.
Ademola Lookman scored twice as a weakened Everton team beat Apollon Limassol to end their failed Europa League campaign with their only win.
With Sunday's Liverpool derby in mind, the Toffees made 11 changes from the victory over Huddersfield, while manager Sam Allardyce did not travel because of a medical appointment.
Lookman headed in Nikola Vlasic's cross from close range and fired in a 25-yard second for the already eliminated Toffees, who gave debuts to five youngsters.
Vlasic added a late third, nipping the ball past Apollon's defence to slot home.
Everton have won three games in a row, all under different managers - caretaker boss David Unsworth, Allardyce and, in Cyprus, newly appointed first-team coach Craig Shakespeare.
Victory means they do not finish bottom of the group, overtaking winless Apollon, and avoid becoming the first English team to not win a Europa League group game.
Atalanta won Group E, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Lyon, who gave 45 minutes to forward Willem Geubbels. At 16 years and four months he is the youngest player to feature in European competition in 10 seasons.
Man-of-the-match Lookman takes his chance
None of the 11 players who started in Nicosia are likely to line up against Liverpool at Anfield, but Lookman will have improved his chances of being involved from the bench on Sunday (14:15 GMT).
The 20-year-old had not scored in his previous 20 matches, a run going back to his only other goal for the club, a debut strike against Manchester City in January.
He had a bright first half, and could have scored earlier after being picked out by a wonderful Davy Klaassen pass. The former Charlton player took too long on the ball, switching feet and shooting at keeper Tasos Kissas.
But he made no mistake with their opening goal, heading into the roof of the net from Vlasic's cross after the young Croat's one-two with Kevin Mirallas.
Lookman smashed home a wonderful second from outside the box, from Mirallas' pass, with Kissas only able to parry it into the top corner.
After the break, he had one hat-trick chance but was denied by the keeper from a wide angle with Vlasic - another 20-year-old - free in the centre four yards from goal.
Vlasic - whose only previous Everton goal had been against Apollon at home - scored a late third after using his pace to run in on goal before placing the ball through the legs of Kissas.
Everton give youth a chance
Everton handed debuts to two players from the start - Scotland Under-19 striker Fraser Hornby and Republic of Ireland Under-21 player Harry Charsley, who featured at left-back.
Charsley, usually an attacking midfielder, was lively going forward, and forced Kissas into a good save with a curling effort from 20 yards.
But the Toffees were shaky at the back in early stages, with 18-year-old Morgan Feeney - making his first start - the only regular defender in the back four.
Joel Robles had to make several saves after poor defending, with Fotis Papoulis, Adrian Sardinero and Allan denied by the keeper and Papoulis having a goal ruled out for offside.
However, the Toffees improved at the back after the break and held out for a clean sheet.
Hornby did not see much of the ball, but showed some decent touches as the main striker.
None of the seven Everton substitutes had any first-team experience.
Nathan Broadhead, a Wales Under-21 forward, replaced Hornby with 10 minutes left and Anthony Gordon, 16, and England Under-17 midfielder Alex Denny came on late on.
Youngest team since 2009 - match stats
- The average age of Everton's starting XI (23 years 15 days) was the youngest by an English club in Europe (excluding qualifiers) since their game against BATE Borisov in the same competition in December 2009 (22 years 319 days).
- Only one English team have picked up fewer points than Everton's four in a European group stage - Manchester City with three in the 2012-13 Champions League.
- Everton have won three successive matches in all competitions - the same tally of wins they recorded in their previous 20 competitive matches combined.
- The Toffees have also kept a clean sheet in each of their past three competitive matches - this after conceding in each of their previous 13 games before this run (32 goals).
- Anthony Gordon (16 years 286 days) became only the second 16-year-old to play for an English club in the Europa League, after Jake Bidwell (for Everton vs BATE in December 2009).
Reaction - 'The team have to take enormous credit'
Everton first-team coach Craig Shakespeare: "As young players they need that opportunity but they also need to show the ability… and Lookman did.
"To come away from home, to keep a clean sheet and score three, the team have to take enormous credit for that.
"But we have said to the squad look at this as a starting block and in football you get your just rewards most of the time.
"I thought we played some really good stuff in the first half and with a little bit more care in front of goal could have scored more. I have really enjoyed working with them and you saw tonight the work ethic and ability, and how we approached the game."
Line-ups
Apollon Limassol
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 46Kissas
- 17Guerra Cunha
- 68Pitian
- 22Roberge
- 21Ribeiro Santana
- 14Rodrigues de Souza
- 5SachettiBooked at 78mins
- 77Sardinero CorpaSubstituted forJakolisat 60'minutes
- 9MartinezSubstituted forPittasat 75'minutes
- 26Papoulis
- 30SchembriSubstituted forZelayaat 60'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Zelaya
- 28Stylianou
- 44Yuste Canton
- 52Pittas
- 83Esteves do Vale
- 88Vasiliou
- 92Jakolis
Everton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 33Robles
- 54BaningimeBooked at 73mins
- 48Feeney
- 21Besic
- 37CharsleySubstituted forDennyat 90+1'minutes
- 20Klaassen
- 2Schneiderlin
- 27Vlasic
- 11MirallasSubstituted forGordonat 88'minutes
- 31Lookman
- 67HornbySubstituted forBroadheadat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 41Hewelt
- 55Broadhead
- 61Denny
- 63Lavery
- 68Duke-McKenna
- 69Collins
- 70Gordon
- Referee:
- Sébastien Delferière
- Attendance:
- 4,237
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away9
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away18
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Apollon Limassol 0, Everton 3.
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Attempt missed. Emilio Jose Zelaya (Apollon Limassol) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Andrei Pitian following a corner.
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Corner, Apollon Limassol. Conceded by Alex Denny.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Alex Denny replaces Harry Charsley.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Anthony Gordon replaces Kevin Mirallas.
Goal!
Goal! Apollon Limassol 0, Everton 3. Nikola Vlasic (Everton) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Nathan Broadhead replaces Fraser Hornby.
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João Pedro (Apollon Limassol) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Morgan Schneiderlin (Everton).
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Foul by Esteban Sachetti (Apollon Limassol).
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Nikola Vlasic (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Fotis Papoulis (Apollon Limassol) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Ademola Lookman (Everton).
Booking
Esteban Sachetti (Apollon Limassol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Esteban Sachetti (Apollon Limassol).
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Nikola Vlasic (Everton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. Andrei Pitian (Apollon Limassol) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high. Assisted by Esteban Sachetti.
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Foul by Esteban Sachetti (Apollon Limassol).
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Ademola Lookman (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
"Will any of these youngsters start a premier league game this season."
Educate yourself; two of them (Baningime & Lookman) already have, and four more (Kenny, Calvert-Lewin, Holgate and Davies) were left at home because they're already first team players. If only more premier league teams were giving chances to young English guys!
I think the word you're looking for is "strengthened".
He should go right to the top.
Man United fan
Lookman should definitely be considered as an attacking option at the WC over that idiot Sturridge, who has probably retired now to take up a dead-end rapping career judging by his awful Youtube video.