Hull v Everton

As awayday's go, they don't get much better than this.

Everton cruised into the fourth round of the Carling Cup with an emphatic and impressive 4-0 demolition of Hull City - the first time since March 2002 that David Moyes has seen his side net four times away from Goodison Park. It is also the biggest away win under Moyes.

But that wasn't the only reason for Evertonians to be cheerful. The game also afforded Yakubu, who netted with a typically calm finish, his first start of the season and Lucas Neill made his Everton debut as a second half substitute.

And the plus-points did not end there on a night when Yakubu's opener was followed by strikes from Jo, Dan Gosling and Leon Osman.

Handed the skipper's armband and offered a role in the heart of midfield, Osman relished the evening. He was cool on the ball and showed typical ingenuity time and again in knitting together Everton's attacking salvos.

And so it was fitting he marked the evening with a goal - capitalising on a loose ball in the six yard box in the 57th minute to net the fourth and final goal of the tie.

Elsewhere and John Heitinga, employed in a central defensive role for the first time, showed he is not afraid of an aerial challenge.

But it was Yakubu who provided the biggest boost of a memorable evening for the Blues.

Yakubu nets his first since returning from injury

He has been out of the squad so long through injury he feels like a new signing - and, just as he did on his first 'debut' at the Reebok Stadium, he found the net.

His first few touches may not have been as crisp as we have come to expect from the Nigerian international. But after 10 months out of the starting line-up because of an Achilles injury he can be forgiven that. The one thing he has not lost, however, is his eye for goal.

He proved that less than 11 minutes into this tie, coolly passing the ball beyond Matt Duke from 10 yards after a neat ball into his path from Dan Gosling.

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