Under 23s match report Everton v Man Utd 22 February 2021

McCann was again foiled by the Toffees’ custodian and then, in the 26th minute, Broadhead improved on his earlier effort with a cheeky chip, over the advancing Kovar, to give his side the advantage.

United looked to be heading into the break in arrears, but help arrived when, with the last kick of the first half, McCann rattled home his second Premier League 2 goal of the season to put his side on level terms.

So, all to play for in the second period and the Reds’ hopes were raised when Hoogewerf’s goal-bound shot was pushed on to the angle of the frame by Virginia.

Then, in the space of seven minutes, Everton, or more accurately Broadhead, turned the contest into a mountaineering exercise for the Reds when he claimed two further goals to complete his hat-trick. The first was a low shot across Kovar and the second was a simple header after a corner from the right was flicked on.

Neil Wood brought on another prolific striker towards the end, giving Charlie McNeill the chance to step up a level alongside his fellow Under-18s attacker Hoogewerf. But the Toffees saw out the triumph, leaving the Reds in search of a return to winning ways on Saturday’s long trip to Southampton.