Everton U21s sank to 17th place in Premier League 2, Division 1 following a disheartening loss to high-flying Leicester City, writes Luke Patrick at Walton Hall Park.
After back-to-back victories for the home side, it was no surprise that Everton started the game strongly. It took just five minutes for the lively start to lead to the first chance of the game when Cody Ebere flicked a header towards goal only to be denied by the gloves of the Leicester keeper, Harry French.
This early spark by the hosts soon subsided following a midfield lapse, allowing Leicester City forward Riley Carr to bear down on goal, only for the striker to be denied by the outstretched leg of a chasing William Tamen.
This drove the young Foxes on, finally resulting in a sweeping move that unlocked the host’s defence. An onslaught of shots from the visitors culminated in the ball falling kindly to Darren Motsi. A quick change of direction allowed him to unleash a curling effort that nestled in the far side of the goal on the 25-minute mark.
Things went from bad to worse for Everton as keeper George Pickford was robbed of possession by an onrushing Kirsten Otchere just six minutes later to compound the young Blues’ dismay and double Leicester’s lead.
Pickford redeemed himself on the stroke of half-time, getting down brilliantly to his near post to deny Amani Richards his ninth goal contribution in as many games for the travelling side.
Everton started the second half with even more vigour than the first. A change in personnel with the introduction of forward George Morgan caused confusion in the visitor’s backline, allowing Kingsford Boakye two gilt-edged chances at the back post within minutes of the restart.
As the clock brought up the hour mark, Boakye showed incredible footwork to beat two players before stinging the hands of French from 20 yards out. A hat-trick of missed opportunities for the 21-year-old emphasised the improvement that Peter Cavanagh’s Everton side had made.
Despite Everton’s dominance in the second period, the Foxes continued to show their teeth on the break, causing captain Tamen to make yet another impressive block with 20 minutes remaining.
Everton thought they’d found a way back into the game on 78 minutes when livewire Boakye was hauled down in the box. All eyes darted towards the referee, who remained unmoved.
The remainder of the game was populated by enforced substitutions, with both sides feeling the strain of this sub-zero degree clash, resulting in a dull end to a lively affair.
Everton will look to build on this performance when they travel to 20th-place Birmingham City on Friday evening.
