An understrength Wednesday side bowed out of the Carabao Cup after two early Everton goals in our third round tie at Hillsborough.
Garry Monk showed pre-match that his main interest this season is the Championship when he made eight changes from the side that drew with Fulham on Saturday, while under pressure Everton boss Marco Silva settled for five alterations to the side that lost at home to Sheff U.
Sam Winnall missed a good chance in the opening exchanges and we were then quickly hit by two Everton goals inside four minutes … both from ex-Blade Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a close-range blast via the underside of the bar and a tap-in after Wednesday were again exposed at the back.
We should have pulled a goal back when the unmarked Dominic Iorfa headed wide at the far post while Cameron Dawson produced a fine stop to prevent Calvert-Lewin completing a first-half hat-trick.
Winnall flashed a header just over the bar on 64 minutes as Wednesday looked to get back in the game while Everton went close to adding to their lead through Djibril Sidibe and Lucas Digne, but those two quickfire strikes proved the difference between the two sides.
Dawson, Odubajo, Thorniley, Iorfa, Fox, Murphy (Harris 59), Pelupessy, Luongo, Reach, Winnall (Rhodes 65), Nuhiu (Fletcher 70). Unused subs. Jones, Palmer, Lee, Bannan. Att: 21,485.