Tom Cannon showcased his goalscoring talent once again with a brutal finish as another senior side struggled to handle the teenage striker.
The 19-year-old could have taken the ball through on goal after being played in by Francis Okoronkwo but instead rifled past Jordan Wright from the edge of the box. His rasping finish came just minutes after he had turned provider for Okoronkwo as the pair turned the Everton Under-21s' Papa John's Trophy tie with Lincoln City on its head in the second half.
Their stunning double act was not enough to take the young Blues through to the quarter-finals but was the latest positive to come from a cup campaign full of highlights for Paul Tait's side. After the 4-2 defeat the U21s boss was frustrated his boys were unable to progress further but full of pride over the cup run.
MATCH RECAP: Look back on goals, big moments and how the game unfolded
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Cannon is unable to stay out of the headlines and will surely be getting minutes at senior level after Christmas. His vicious strike at a freezing LNER Stadium followed his last minute winner in the previous round against Mansfield Town. He scored two at Hartlepool United and another against Morecambe - before then striking for the Everton first team against Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia last month.
His six goals against senior opposition, combined with his haul against academy sides including those of Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain, mean he has attracted the interest of a host of Football League sides heading into the January transfer window.
But having made his first team debut in the Carabao Cup at Bournemouth, then coming on against the same side for his Premier League debut days later, he may get more exposure with Frank Lampard's matchday squad first. Should Dominic Calvert-Lewin be unavailable as he battles to recover from injury, Cannon could well end up ahead of Salomon Rondon as Everton's back-up forward to Neal Maupay for the Premier League games against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion. He made another stunning case for inclusion in Lampard's thoughts on a difficult night against a solid League One side.
Wherever he plays his football in the new year, Everton's U21s are braced to lose Cannon to the next stage of his development. They have a replacement ready in Okoronkwo, who changed this tie when he was introduced at half-time. Lincoln had been the better side in the first half, stifling Everton's creative players including Stanley Mills, who had recovered from illness to just win his fitness battle on Tuesday night. Zan-Luk Leban shifted direction brilliantly to push away a deflected Danny Mandroiu free-kick and the visitors held their own until Regan Poole got through on the left and gave the hosts the lead.
The U21s kept themselves in the game, however, and were able to capitalise in the early minutes of the second half. Kyle John sent Cannon free down the right and he picked out Okoronkwo, who kept his composure to complete a stunning team move. Minutes later the roles reversed as Okoronkwo sent Cannon through to give Everton the lead.
That was shortlived, however, Lincoln winning a questionable penalty amid scrappy scenes in the Everton box. Jack Diamond slotted in as the game continued in frenetic fashion, both sides pushing for the lead. That went to the hosts when Sean Roughan side-footed in at the back post after Everton were caught out down the left. They pushed hard for an equaliser, Mills riding a series of challenges before cutting in from the left and forcing an excellent save from Wright before Mackenzie Hunt did similar from the left only to be left exasperated - along with his teammates - when he was not awarded a penalty after being bundled over.
As Everton pushed for an equaliser that would have taken the game to penalties Leban went up for an injury time corner and then a last-ditch free-kick. That left the Blues exposed when the ball was cleared, allowing Diamond to carry the ball 30 yards before passing into an empty net and ending Everton's youngsters' dreams of Wembley.
As a freezing mist descended on the pitch it was Lincoln's players who celebrated the final whistle but Everton's hierarchy have taken great pride from this run - which, among other lessons, has shown several of its starlets are now more than capable of competing at a senior level in the new year.
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