Man of the moment Tom Cannon kept his composure to slot home in stoppage-time and seal a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory for Everton's Under-21s against Mansfield Town at Goodison Park.
The teenager, who scored his first senior goal in Australia last week, finished past Scott Flinders after a clever through ball by Sebastian Quirk. Cannon's winner came just minutes after Liam Higgins had smashed home an equaliser, seemingly sending the Papa Johns Trophy last-32 tie to penalties.
Instead, Everton now face a trip to Lincoln City in the next round after the dramatic recovery in a game Mansfield appeared to have wrapped up.
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Ben Godfrey was the most prominent name on the Everton team sheet as the defender, a losing finalist against Lincoln in this tournament with Shrewsbury Town in 2018, continues his recovery from injury.
The 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes in a three-man centre-back partnership with Reece Welch and captain-for-the-night Joe Anderson. Isaac Price, Stanley Mills and Cannon, the three standout performers of the senior side's Sydney Super Cup exploits, were the other high-profile names to start at Goodison.
Loan pathways manager James Vaughan and a host of scouts and Football League managers were also in attendance ahead of a January transfer window in which several of the young stars are expected to be sent out on loan to continue their development.
Mansfield started the better side and took an early lead as Rhys Oates headed in unmarked from a corner. The goal unsettled the hosts and gave the visitors confidence, the Stags twice playing their way into the Blues box without forcing a save out of Zan Luk Leban.
In response Godfrey picked out Cannon with a lovely ball over the top and the 19-year-old, who scored against Western Sydney Wanderers last week, cut inside and fired over.
Cannon then tested Flinders before Mills broke through the middle, held off several challenges and forced another stop. While the Blues grew into the game, helped by the intelligence of Price and movement of Cannon, Mansfield remained a threat and were most dangerous through number 10 George Maris.
It was Maris' through ball that picked out Stephen McLaughlin - on a yellow after taking out Mills at the other end - down the Everton right and his cross posed enough menace for Leban to have to push away.
The Blues' youngsters pushed hard in the second half with Francis Okoronkwo providing some nice touches but Leban was the busier of the two goalkeepers.
Price tested Flinders with a powerful drive after good work from Mills and Higgins - on for Roman Dixon at half-time - added an extra dimension down the right.
As Okoronkwo sliced a scissor-kick and Cannon could not get over a Katia Kouyate cross delivered after the substitute had beaten two defenders, Mansfield appeared to have weathered the late storm.
But then Higgins hammered home at the back post and Cannon, head bandaged after an earlier challenge, held his nerve to spark wild scenes as he was mobbed by his team-mates.
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