Everton boss hails 'fearless' side that could look…

Everton boss hails 'fearless' side that could look very different after January transfer window

Everton Under-21s boss Paul Tait said he was proud of his youngsters after their Papa Johns Trophy run came to an end with a battling defeat at Lincoln City.

The young Blues came from behind to lead the League One outfit on a freezing night at the LNER Stadium but were left frustrated after two penalty decisions went against them. A late goal after Everton goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban went up for a free kick sealed a 4-2 win for the Imps after a thrilling second half.

Highlights included two excellent goals after Francis Okoronkwo's introduction changed the game - the teenager scoring one then turning creator for Tom Cannon's sublime strike. After the game Tait spoke of his disappointment at the side's cup run coming to an end in the last 16 and expressed his pride at the character they displayed both on Tuesday night and in the wider competition.

Tait told the ECHO: "I thought in the first half we were solid and we paid for one mistake, and they scored. We didn't quite show enough belief in our own ability in the first half. In the second half I thought we took the game to them, got the goals, but we just weren't in the lead long enough to then get a foothold in the game.

"I'm disappointed with the decision [to award Lincoln a penalty], I have seen it on the replay and I'm disappointed with that. Then we got a little bit ragged for their third goal. From then on I applaud our lads. I thought they played with creativity, no fear, they played with real quality on an ice rink of a pitch, created chances, probably should have had a penalty at the end as well with Mackenzie Hunt - I thought that was a stonewall penalty.

"So the decisions didn't quite go our way but I was nothing other than absolutely proud while stood in the technical area watching them, proud of the way they showed great fight and great resilience and also real quality and creativity."

The Blues struggled to fashion chances in a first half that Lincoln were the better side. The hosts led through Regan Poole's 33rd- minute finish but were undone within five minutes of Okoronkwo having entered the fray at half-time. The 18-year-old coolly finished a team move that started at the back before Stanley Mills sent Cannon through on the right, his cross being converted by the oncoming Okoronkwo.

Okoronkwo then sent Cannon through on goal and the 19-year-old opted to shoot early, hitting a fierce shot beyond Jordan Wright from 20 yards. Lincoln equalised soon after when Jack Diamond scored a penalty contested by Tait. As both teams sought a winner it was the senior side that exploited Everton's defence switching off, Sean Roughan side-footing in at the back post before Diamond finished into an empty net with the last kick of the game - but only after Hunt was bundled over in the Lincoln box but had his claims for a penalty waved away.

Everton were only one of three Premier League youth teams to make it to the last 16 of the tournament, with Chelsea and Manchester United also losing to League One opposition on Tuesday. Defeat marked the end of an impressive run in which several of the Blues' starlets showed they were ready to compete with senior teams.

They scored 14 goals in five games as they fought Morecambe, Hartlepool United, Harrogate Town and Mansfield Town before Lincoln - Cannon netting five of them. The Blues bow out of the tournament with disappointment that a trip to Wembley is no longer a possibility but aware that the performances of key players means they were likely to head out on loan in the new year - or challenge for the first team - and therefore be unavailable for the later stages.

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