Everton under-21s maintained their perfect record in this season’s Premier League International Cup with a 4-1 win over Hertha BSC.
The young Blues came into the game on the back of a disappointing 2-1 Premier League 2 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon. Stanley Mills had fired Paul Tait’s side ahead but goals from Jake Cain and Ben Doak sealed all three points for the Reds.
The young Blues, however, bounced back in the best way possible here as they produced a dominant display against their German visitors. Tait’s side made it two from two, after an opening game win over Braga, as a result of the victory.
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Kyle John, fresh from signing a new deal with the club earlier in the day, was a constant threat down the right, and his low cross was almost turned home by Francis Okoronkwo inside the opening five minutes.
Chances continued to fall the way of Tait’s side, so it was little surprise when they eventually took the lead after 15 minutes. Mackenzie Hunt fed Isaac Price down the left before the midfielder’s cross was headed home by Charlie Whitaker.
Okoronkwo would go close again before he eventually doubled his side’s lead just before the half-hour mark. Twisting and turning on the edge of the box the forward then let fly with curling finish past the diving Leon Cuk in the Hertha goal.
Zak Luk Leban, who had largely remained nothing more than a spectator during the opening 45 minutes, did deny Florian Haxha before the half was out. But the one way traffic continued in the second-half.
First, Okoronkwo saw an effort blocked by Pascal Klemens before Whitaker fired wide from the edge of the box. However, just after the hour mark, goal number three would arrive for Everton.
Substitute Mills did well down the left and from the resulting corner in which he won, Okoronkwo headed the ball into the path of Joe Anderson, who made no mistake with a sweet volley into the bottom corner of the net from 10-yards out.
Hertha would pull one back when Teoman Gunduz converted from the spot after the visitors were awarded a penalty after an infringement inside the box. However, it would be Everton who would have the final say.
Picking up the ball inside his own half, Mills raced towards the Hertha goal before firing into the bottom corner of the net via the inside of the post from the edge of the box.
Next up for Tait's side is a Premier League 2 clash against Manchester City on Saturday before his side welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Walton Hall Park in their next International Cup game at the start of next month.
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