Match Report: Brighton U23’s vs Everton U23’s

Antony Evans, the former Liverpool academy player, sold two Brighton defenders a dummy, got his head up and whipped an audacious curling effort into the far corner past Hugo Keto in the Brighton goal to seal a 2-1 win for the Toffees.

In this fixture last season Simon Rusk’s Brighton suffered the exact same fate - losing 2-1 at home to Everton - and eventually missed out on the opportunity to be crowned league champions. This was a chance to get revenge on David Unsworth’s Everton.

However, it was Unsworth’s men who went ahead in the second minute through Anthony Gordon after the combative Benny Banigime won back possession on the edge of the Everton box and played a route one ball up to Gordon. The striker shifted the ball on to his right foot in the box and fired a low effort through the legs of Warren O’Hora and underneath a slow-to-react Keto.

Brighton were allowed to have the ball by Everton. The merseysiders sat deep in a 4-5-1 and looked to invite the young Seagulls on to them and then catch them on the break.

Few chances fell to either team in a cagey first-half although Brighton had the majority of the ball, it was Everton who fashioned the most clear-cut chances in the first half.