Everton’s man of the moment Tom Cannon fired a blank for the Blues’ Under-21s side as they suffered last-gasp heartache at Birmingham City in the Premier League Cup. Cannon netted the winner for Paul Tait’s side at Goodison Park on Wednesday night as they struck twice in stoppage time to come from behind a beat Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town 2-1 in the Papa John’s Trophy.
The goal followed up the 19-year-old’s first senior strike in Everton’s 5-1 thrashing of Western Sydney Wanderers in the Sydney Super Cup after coming off the bench in both of the Blues’ fixtures at Bournemouth prior to the World Cup break. However, the tables were turned on Everton U21s after their late success against the Stags as a scrappy affair at Nuneaton Borough was heading towards a goalless stalemate when Birmingham substitute Trevan Sanusi squeezed his 92 nd minute shot past substitute goalkeeper Jack Barrett and into the bottom corner of the net.
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It was cruel on Everton after they’d had more opportunities to score than the hosts and early in the game a lovely weighted pass from Isaac Heath found Stanley Mills on the right but the low cross into the box was missed by Cannon.
Mills was involved again shortly after when his angled drive was well saved by Bradley Mayo. There was a huge let-off for Everton midway through the opening period when Frank Tattum completely missed his kick when no more than three-yards from goal.
The Birmingham centre-forward did rather better with a diving header that was pushed away well by Zan-Luk Leban. A nice bit of skill from Mills created an opening for himself but again the keeper was equal to the final effort, as he was when Cannon smashed a shot straight at him.
Mills was a livewire and he wasn’t far off target with a volley from a Seb Quirk centre early in the second half. Everton continued to be the more creative and Joe Anderson almost registered a Goal of the Season entry with a first-time half-volley from 30-yards that was touched over by Mayo.
At the other end, Leban had to be alert to palm away a towering header from Rico Browne. Just after the hour mark, Tait made five substitutions and two of them crafted an instant opportunity as Katia Kouyate crossed from the left and Francis Okoronkwo saw his header saved.
Another headed effort, this time from Mackenzie Hunt was hacked off the line, then Okoronkwo was inches wide from another excellent delivery by Kouyate. Okoronkwo thought he’d provided the breakthrough with 10 minutes to go but his close-range effort, after more good approach play by Heath, was superbly blocked and the contest had 0-0 written all over it until Sanusi’s late, late strike.
Everton U21s now have further Premier League Cup fixtures on the horizon at home to Colchester United U21s on Tuesday, away to Southampton on Saturday and then away to Colchester on Monday, December 19. Before the latter they also have their next Papa John’s Trophy tie at Lincoln City on Tuesday, December 13.
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