Under-21s Suffer Home Defeat To Sunderland

A determined but ultimately frustrated Everton Under-21s could not overturn a 2-1 scoreline and suffered a first Premier League 2 defeat in five at the hands of Sunderland.

Demi Akarakiri’s early goal put the hosts in front before two quickfire strikes from the visitors, with Paul Tait’s side unable, despite great efforts in the second half, to restore parity.

There was just one change from the side that drew 2-2 with Burnley at Finch Farm on Monday, with Akarakiri replacing Francis Gomez in a straight swap in central midfield.

The Blues, as they often have this season, started the brighter of the two sides with Kingsford Boakye and Braiden Graham lively early on, winning a series of corners, but the first real chance would fall to the visitors in the 7th minute as right-back Finlay Holcroft sent a deep cross in that Douglass Lukjanciks had to palm away to prevent it from looping in.

Malik Olayiwola was unfortunate in the 13th minute as he beat three defenders in a right-to-left run, only to see his shot from 18 yards deflect wide – but the Blues would score from the resulting corner. Aled Thomas sent an in-swinging delivery to the back post which Akarakiri rose highest to head across goal. Sunderland could not deal with it and a mis-hit attempt at a clearance looped into the air and to the feet of Akarakiri, who took his time before slotting the ball to the far corner.

Everton had, that early cross aside, looked untroubled but a three-minute spell soon after their opener turned the game on its head. Ahmed Abdullahi equalised for the visitors with a powerful effort that Lukjanciks could not keep out before Finn Geragusian put Sunderland in front from the spot after Thomas brought him down in the box.

Sunderland enjoyed a spell of control from there with the Blues unable to make headway, that was until a flurry of chances at the end of the first half in which Boakye twice came close, pulling one effort from inside the box wide of the far post and seeing a half-volley deflected behind by a last-ditch block in the six-yard box.

Paul Tait’s side started the second half as they ended the first, very much on top of proceedings, but were left frustrated in their search for an equaliser.

Lukjanciks made one superb save after 52 minutes to turn away Charles Dinsdale’s rising half-volley but the Blues responded with chances of their own, Olayiwola seeing a low effort saved well by Joseph Cowan in goal before Coby Ebere cut in from the left, into the box and into space, only to curl his side-footed effort wide of the far post.

Graham was inches from curling a stunning long-range effort past Cowan but saw his effort flew agonisingly wide of the post, as did a shot from substitute Francis Gomez after a corner kick was worked out to him.

It was all Everton in the closing stages as the Blues pushed for an equaliser. Cowan spilled a high cross from substitute Luca Davis but Graham was denied a tap-in by a superb late defensive challenge, before Graham burst away down the left and squared for Ceiran Loney, only for Cowan to redeem his earlier fumble by getting a fingertip to the ball to take it away from the Scottish striker as the seconds ticked away.

Reece Welch rose highest in additional time late on to meet a corner, but could only turn his effort high and wide, and the final whistle blew shortly after as Sunderland resiliently saw out victory.

Speaking after the game, Tait told evertonfc.com: "I thought we were much better in the second half – intensity without the ball, intensity with the ball, opening them up, we just didn't quite produce the quality finish.

"There was some poor decision-making and some bad luck, probably a mixture, but I think that's where we lost the game – in the first half. We had a good start, but once we went 1-0 up, we were poor. We sat back and we let Sunderland dominate for that part of the game, and they got the two goals. Ultimately, that took the game away from us.

"We did the same against Burnley as well the other day, when we were 2-0 up and we didn't manage the game, so there's some learning there for us to get better.

"We changed the structure a little bit (at half-time) just to give us more of a chance to attack and some of that happened. Like I say, we got into some really good positions and just didn't quite take them."

Everton Under-21s return to action next Friday away to Southampton at Staplewood (1pm kick-off).