Everton’s modern history in the League Cup is littered with much-changed line-ups, ineffective performances and embarrassing exits in the early stages. Some of them came under the stewardship of David Moyes but there is a sense that since the Scot returned to the club from an 11-year journey that took him from Manchester to East London via Spain and Wearside, he is driven to push the Blues closer to ending what is now a 30-year trophy drought.
The team selection for what should have been — and ultimately was — a routine second round tie against League One Mansfield Town was reflective of a manager taking seriously not only a potential avenue towards long-awaited silverware but also Europe. Newcastle’s success in this competition last season is serving as an example to teams like Everton so it was pleasing to see such a strong line-up.
Despite not having has a full pre-season but then playing 90 minutes against Brighton on Sunday, Jack Grealish was named in the starting XI alongside another of the new signings, Thierno Barry. Illustrating the depth that the Toffees now possess, particularly in forward areas, Dwight McNeil and Charly Alcaraz rounded out attacking midfield while the return to fitness of Vitalii Mykolenko and Séamus Coleman meant that James Garner could move back into his more natural midfield role.
If there is normally a nod at this stage of the tournament to young academy graduates, this time it was Harrison Armstrong who made the cut, although the 18-year-old played with such composure and maturity that this was hardly the manager throwing a youngster a rare chance to shine. Armstrong has very evidently reached the point where is far too good for the Under-21s and is in need of, perhaps, just one more season on loan in the Championship (or abroad) before he can start gracing Everton’s first team on a regular basis.
While the team was a strong one, in the first half the pattern of the match followed a well-thumbed script. The hosts were dominant for all but the final 10 minutes before the break but, Alcaraz aside, they often flattered to deceive in the final third, where even Grealish was guilty of waste when the ball arrived at his feet in a central position but he skied it into the North Stand from 14 yards out.
That came after Alcaraz had tested Liam Roberts with a powerful drive from just over 20 yards that the goalkeeper palmed wide for a corner.
McNeil, who did his hopes of winning back a starting role few favours with a ropey display tried to catch the goalkeeper out with a cheeky free-kick that was helped over the crossbar by Roberts. Meanwhile, although the impressive Harrison should have laid a first goal on for Barry when he elected to shoot rather than square the ball across the Stags’ stranded back line, it was Alcaraz who was the standout performer in Blue on the night.
And, after Mansfield had ended the first period with a spell of concerted though ultimately fruitless pressure, all three of those last-named players combined to put Everton ahead five minutes into the second. A neat lay-off from Barry — not his first of the evening either — found Harrison in the box and with some tide footwork he twisted away from his marker before passing back to Alcaraz who curled a beautiful shot around the last defender and inside the post from just outside the area.
Then, after Barry had made way for Beto and Tyler Dibling had come on for Grealish to make his debut, the Portuguese wasted two excellent chances, first with a weak finish straight at the goalie after a mix-up in the Mansfield defence and then with an off-target header off a deep cross from the left.
The visitors might have levelled the tie had Luke Bolton’s curling effort not been diverted away by the head of Michael Keane because the substitute’s effort appeared destined for the top corner of Mark Travers’ net.
Moyes’s men made sure of progress to the next phase, however, after substitute Iliman Ndiaye had rippled the side-netting off Armstrong’s superb through-ball. With almost 89 minutes on the clock, Garner split the Mansfield defence with a lovely pass to pick out the run of Armstrong and he set Beto up for a simple finish that made it 2-0.
The Toffees move on to the third round where they have been handed a tie away at Wolves.