Ben Godfrey completed 57 minutes on his return to action as nine-man Everton Under-21 were beaten by Southampton in their first Premier League Cup group F match at Walton Hall Park.
Centre-back Godfrey pulled on a royal blue jersey for his first taste of competitive football since sustaining a fractured fibula in the Blues' Premier League season opener against Chelsea at Goodison Park on 6 August.
Isaac Price handed the Toffees a first-half lead on 24 minutes when he drilled a low strike home after the Saints failed to clear Mackenzie Hunt’s cross from the left.
But the visitors responded in the second 45, with 16-year-old Jimmy Morgan grabbing a brace for the south coast side.
The teenager's first came seven minutes after the restart when Lewis Payne seized possession in the Blues’ final third, drove forward and then fed Morgan who unleashed a first-time strike past Billy Crellin.
Morgan bagged his second to turn the game on its head minutes after the hour mark - this time arrowing the ball into the bottom corner through a crowd of bodies on the edge of the box.
Sebastian Quirk was then dismissed for two bookable offences in the 88th minute before Price also saw red for dissent.
The result leaves Everton without a point in group F after one match, however, their next fixture sees them turn their attention to their Papa John’s Trophy last 32 tie against League Two side Mansfield Town, which is scheduled to take place on the week commencing 21 November.
