Barnsley vs Everton. Carabao Cup Second Round.
Oakwell Stadium.
Thursday 27 August 2015 10:18, UK
Everton needed extra-time to wear down Barnsley 5-3 in an epic Capital One Cup second round clash that produced 53 shots at goal.
The League One side raced into an early two-goal lead inside 27 minutes with strikes from Sam Winnall and Marley Watkins, before Kevin Mirallas and Steven Naismith drew Everton level.
Barnsley took just 48 seconds to regain the lead through on-loan Arsenal man Dan Crowley, but Romelu Lukaku took the game to extra-time with 13 minutes left.
The unfortunate Marc Roberts handed Everton the advantage on 96 minutes when putting through his own net and Lukaku wrapped up the game late on.
Everton now face a trip to the Madejski Stadium in round three to take on Reading.
Roberto Martinez picked a strong line-up from the outset that included Lukaku and John Stones, who handed in a transfer request earlier this week in the wake of three rejected bids from Chelsea.
The visitors started at a fierce tempo and Aidan McGeady should have given them the lead on eight minutes but he was denied from close range after Mirallas' 25-yard effort was palmed away.
Barnsley weathered that brief storm, grew into the game and took the lead on 21 minutes with their first shot on target.
Watkins sent in a cross from the right that caused unnecessary panic in the Everton defence. The ball broke to Winnall 10 yards from goal and he skilfully passed the ball into the far corner.
One became two just six minutes later as Everton's defence again wilted under pressure.
A long ball to the back post was headed back across the six yard box and Watkins bundled the ball home from close range under a weak challenge from Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles.
Martinez rang the changes at half-time introducing Gerard Deulofeu and Ross Barkley from the bench. The impact was instant.
The visitors reduced the deficit on 50 minutes when Mirallas acrobatically hooked an effort into the top corner from 15 yards out.
It was one-way traffic for the next period of the game and Naismith drew his team level on 58 minutes with a nicely taken header after a Deulofeu cross from the right.
But any thoughts of Everton having it easy from then on in were completely dashed just second later as Barnsley regained the lead with their third shot on target.
Crowley was the man to get the goal, turning in a Watkins cross from the right flank.
Lukaku then got in on the act making it 3-3 after more good work down the right by Deulofeu to send the game into extra-time.
The former Barcelona man wasn't done there either as he danced his way down the right flank on 95 minutes and his cross was turned into his own net by Roberts under pressure by Lukaku.
Conor Hourihane smacked the crossbar from 30 yards from the hosts as they remained very much in the game but Lukaku's second goal after a forward burst by Barkley rubber-stamped Everton's place in round three.
