Everton Under-18s are through to the last eight of the FA Youth Cup thanks to a 2-0 win at Sheffield United on Monday evening.
Goals either side of the break from Courtney Duffus and Gethin Jones secured the victory for the Toffees after an assured performance at Bramall Lane.
The youngsters now face another away tie against either Charlton Athletic or Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
The young Blues manufactured their first chance after intelligent work from Tyrone Duffus. The number 10 released Calum Dyson after a powerful run, but his deflected drive was beaten around the post by goalkeeper Jake Eastwood.
Kevin Sheedy’s team came close again on 20 minutes through midfielder Harry Charsley. A ball across the box from the tenacious Jones evaded both Duffus brothers before falling to Charsley at the back post, but his driven effort sailed wide from seven-yards out.
Everton continued to dominate proceedings, and the home side were forced to wait until after the half-hour mark for their first sniff of goal.
On a rare venture into Everton territory, a searching diagonal ball from Diego De Girolamo was drifted in behind the Blues’ defence, however Blades right-back Jason Paling was unable to make a telling connection.
The deadlock was eventually broken after 39 minutes and, deservingly, the advantage went to the visitors.
Duffus latched onto a through ball 25-yards from goal, still with plenty to do. The towering striker dummied to go on the outside before cutting back onto his left and calmly slotting past Eastwood in the Sheffield United goal.
The elder of the Duffus brothers almost doubled his tally moments later when he reacted quickly to charge down a weak pass back from United defender Ben Whiteman, but the deflection sailed agonisingly wide of the upright.
Everton were to double their lead though Jones on 53 minutes via the penalty spot.
Ryan Ledson’s sublime through ball released Courtney Duffus down the centre, and the striker was eventually bundled over by Eastwood as he bore down on goal.
Captain Jones took the responsibility in the absence of the Blues’ top goalscorer George Green and the Welshman made no mistake in converting into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0.
United came close to an instant reply when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s thrusting run threatened, but the midfielder could only poke his effort onto Russell Griffiths’ far post under intense pressure from Curtis Langton.
Everton defended admirably in the closing stages and retained possession smartly against a stubborn United outfit.
The home side came closest to pulling a goal back through late long-range efforts from substitutes Joel Coustrain and Daniel Cockerline, the latter’s shot being smartly punched over the bar by Griffiths in injury time.
But Sheedy’s youngsters held on to record a clean sheet and a place in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals for the second season in succession. Charlton and Arsenal face each other in round five on Friday.
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