Everton Under-18s bowed out of the Liverpool Senior Cup on Tuesday evening, beaten 4-1 by Marine.
It was a tough night for the Academy youngsters against a far more experienced team on their own artificial surface.
And it didn’t help that Leighton Baines had to shuffle his pack very early on when injury forced Matthew Mallon from the field.
Everton were actually holding their own when Marine took the lead in the 16th minute.
Martin Sherif had tested the home keeper, Bayleigh Passant, in the fifth minute and then hit the side netting with a shot on the turn at the end of a move that he’d started himself with some excellent build-up play.
But the Blues defence didn’t deal with a right-wing cross and when the ball fell to Mark Howarth 12-yards out, he slammed it home.
The young visitors were also culpable for the second Marine goal just before the break – losing possession carelessly in midfield allowing Louis Britton to score past Jack Barrett.
Barrett then did well early in the second period to save at his near post from Marine full-back Josh Solomon-Davies.
Everton came close on 63 minutes when some determined play by Dan Maher presented Jacob Beaumont-Clark with a shooting opportunity, and he forced Passant into a good low save.
The third goal was a tap-in for substitute James Barrigan after Everton were undone by a quick Marine throw-in on the right in the 68th minute and the fourth came just before the end through Sol Solomon.
Everton scored a consolation goal in added time when Harrison Armstrong burst forward and teed up Sherif to poke the ball past Passant.
