Everton Under 23s suffered a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City Under 23s at Haig Avenue on Friday night.

The visitors second half comeback ended Everton’s seven match unbeaten run in all competitions, after goals from Tawanda Maswanhise and an unfortunate Elijah Campbell own goal condemned the Blues to defeat, despite Joe Anderson’s first half strike.

Everton had the better of an entertaining first half, with midfielders Isaac Price and Rhys Hughes looking confident in midfield, often looking to penetrate Leicester’s backline.

On 10 minutes, Hughes played a crisp give-and-go with Tom Cannon, before curling his effort goalwards, but Brad Young was equal to it.

This neat interchange was just the primer for what was a virtuoso first half display from Hughes, and four minutes later he was heavily involved again in another flowing Everton move.

The Blues midfielder slipped through an eye of the needle pass for galloping left-back Campbell, who intelligently cut back for Stanley Mills, but the wingers shot was brilliantly stopped by Young.

Despite a positive start, Everton survived a scare on 17 minutes when Maswanhise rifled inches wide from an acute angle.

Winger Mills, who had to be replaced on 35 minutes after suffering a knock, looked bright in his brief first half performance, and had a penalty appeal waved away after a coming together in the penalty area.

Everton’s early promise was rewarded on 23 minutes, when Hughes curled a bending free-kick from the left channel onto the foot of the sliding Anderson, who poked home his first of the season and gave Unsworth’s side a warranted lead.

The outstanding Hughes was involved in attack once more three minutes before the break, stabbing his pass into the feet of Cannon who, with his back to goal, smartly turned and thundered a fierce shot towards goal, only to be thwarted by Young.

After the interval however, it was the Foxes who began the second half brightly and found themselves on level terms when Maswanhise, who looked dangerous all match, expertly controlled a diagonal pass and placed beyond Harry Tyrer.

Unsworth was forced into another change with 20 minutes remaining, when right-back Sebastian Quirk was unable to continue.

The unfortunate injury to Mills in the first half had prompted Unsworth into a change of formation, and Everton struggled to penetrate without the width of the winger, who had looked so lively.

The visitors got even stronger as the game wore on and completed the comeback on 76 minutes.

Tyrer, who was excellent in the Everton goal, produced an outstanding close range save fromn Bayli Spencer-Adams’ header, but the ball squirmed onto the post and agonisingly rebounded off the unfortunate Campbell into the net.

The Blues keeper prevented further damage from Leicester substitute Terel Pennant with another fine save, but despite keeping Everton in the match, the hosts couldn’t muster up an equalising goal.

The defeat leaves Everton in 9^th place in the Premier League 2 table, and Unsworth’s team next face Burnley in the Premier League Cup next Friday.