Everton 1 – 0 Mothoot FA [PKs: 4 – 2]
A team of Everton U17 players edged Muthoot Football Academy (from India) by a single goal scored by substitute Kean Wren to register their first win in the group stage of the Premier League’s Next Generation Cup, and annual international pre-season warmup competition for developing young players.
The format is shortened games of 25 minutes each way, followed by a penalty shoot-out (regardless of the result) for an additional point.
George Finney saw his first Everton penalty saved; Doug Lukjanciks repeating to save the first Mahoot penalty [0 – 0]
Kean Wren scored his; as did the second Mahoot player [1 – 1]
Harvey Foster fairly blasted his penalty high into the top corner; Lukjanciks saved the third Mahoot penalty [2 – 1]
Joel Catesby scored the fourth penalty for Everton; Lukjanciks unable to stop Mahoot’s fourth [3 – 2]
And Demi Akarakiri finished in style to secure the extra point [4 – 2]
Everton next play East Bengal tomorrow (3:00 pm Friday) and then Punjab (3:00 pm Saturday).
Everton Academy: Lukjanciks, Lambert, Freedman (32′ Finney), Thomas, Samuels-Smith (Van Schoor), Gardener (26′ Wren), Mattos (26′ Foster), Beaumont-Clark (44′ Akakriki), Bates (Gardener), Stewart (44′ Catesby), Graham (44′ Roberts).