David Unsworth said his Under-23s team showed a “real Everton resilience” after the young Blues edged out West Ham United 2-1 in a Premier League 2 clash on Monday night.
All the goals came in the first half at Southport FC’s Pure Stadium, with 16-year-old full-back Thierry Small's maiden Under-23s strike giving the Toffees an early lead.
Prolific frontman Ellis Simms extended Everton’s advantage on 19 minutes before West Ham hit back through Keenan Appiah-Forson.
The away side applied pressure in the second half as they searched for a leveller but the young Blues held out to secure maximum points.
The win lifts Everton up to eighth in Premier League 2. The Toffees are just five points behind Chelsea in a congested league table.
“I thought the way we started was terrific – we started fast and on the front foot,” Unsworth told evertonfc.com.
“We went 2-0 up and it looked like we could have gone on to score three, four or five.
“But out of the blue, they score and it knocked the stuffing out of us.
“That was the story of the game from there – we’ve defended and played on the counter-attack.
“Sometimes you’ve got to dig deep and see a game out – and we did that.
“I can’t fault the lads for their effort and desire.
“We’ve had some fantastic defensive displays – great blocks, great tackles, great shape defensively and Joao Virginia's pulled off one or two good saves.
“We showed a real Everton resilience and mental toughness to see the game out
Just six minutes had elapsed when exciting prospect Small gave Everton the lead.
After good work from Tyler Onyango, Small rifled a low drive into the bottom corner from inside the area.
Everton's second goal arrived came when Simms pounced on a fumble from West Ham goalkeeper Nathan Trott and finished confidently from close range.
The Hammers grew in confidence after Appiah-Forson’s crisp strike halved the deficit but they were unable to find a leveller.
Everton boss Unsworth identified the contributions of Small and 17-year-old attacker Katia Kouyate as key positives from the young Blues’ success – and believes the pair will only improve as they gain more experience at Under-23s level.
“Thierry’s a forward-thinking full-back,” Unsworth said.
“Defensively, he has lots he can work on but there are things we can put into his game. He’ll only get better.
“He got some crucial minutes tonight, as did Katia. These lads are getting games because they deserve to play for the Under-23s.
“It’s a swift learning curve. You can’t just play for 25 minutes, you’ve got to play for 95 minutes.
“Their fitness levels have got to improve, too, but they will get there.
“They’re good lads – they’re humble and good to work with.
“The best place for them to learn is in competitive games. They’ve done that in a winning environment tonight, which was great.”
