The team Captains, Match Officials and mascots before kick-off. Photo by Alan Weir.

A deflected 20 yard shot from Liam Walsh which wrong-footed Johnny Tuffey gave Everton a 5th minute lead as Glenavon made a sluggish start to the game.

Everton starting line-up. Photo by Alan Weir.

Glenavon then switched to a 4-4-2 formation with Mark Patton joining Kevin Braniff up front and the home side began to look more effective. Braniff equalised in the 31st minute with a low shot that Conor Hunt, the young Everton keeper would have expected to have saved. It came after Rhys Marshall won the ball in his own half before surging forward and laying the ball off to Braniff on the right of the box. He took a couple of strides to the edge of the box and fired towards the near post, the ball seeming to squeeze under the keeper’s body.

Kevin Braniff scored Glenavon’s goal. Photo by Alan Weir

Tuffey made a great save to turn Callum Dyson’s 18 yard shot round the post after some excellent approach play in the 34th minute. Three minutes later Simon Kelly chested the ball down and hit an audacious volley from 30 yards that was dipping under the bar but this time Hunt did well to push it over.

Everton legend Joe Royle keeps a close eye on the young Toffees. Photo by Alan Weir.

Callum Dyson drilled a shot into roof of the net on the hour mark to restore the visitor’s lead the after he was played in by a neat pass from Anthony Evans.

Hunt made an acrobatic save to tip Patton’s shot round the post after the Glenavon forward turned onto his left and curled a shot towards the top corner from the edge of the box.

Jonathan Tuffey saves at the feet of Greg Hurst. Photo by Alan Weir.

At the other end Tuffey made a great save to deny Sam Byrne’s powerful low drive.

The Glenavon keeper was powerless to prevent Evans scoring a third for the young Everton side after Henan broke clear and squared it for his strike partner. Minutes earlier Tuffey had palmed Henan’s shot over the bar after the Everton striker had benefited from a ricochet on the half way line and broke clear through on goal.

Rhys Marshall sticks close to his man. Photo by Alan Weir.

Glenavon: Tuffey, Marshall (Boylan 78), Kelly (McKeown 46), Lindsay (c) (Singleton 46), Neill (McGrory 63), Caldwell (Hall 46), Dillon, Kilmartin (Drylie 72), Martyn (M Lynch 78), Patton (Rea 78), Braniff (O’Brien 56). Subs: McGrory, McKeown, Boylan, Hall, Lynch, Drylie, Rea, Singleton, O’Brien

Everton U21: Hunt, Jones (c) (Bainbridge 46), Yates, Charsley (Davies 59), Connolly, Graham, Donohue (Byrne 59), Walsh (Da Silva 56), Brewster (Dowell 46), Hurst (Evans 46), Dyson (Henan 59). Subs:  Bainbridge, Hewelt, Davies, Santos Da Silva Junior, Henan Dowell, Byrne