Everton’s 17-year-old striker Braiden Graham scored four goals in a bizarre game that saw Everton u21s nearly throw away a five-goal lead.
The Northern Irish striker, who Everton signed in the summer ahead of Brighton, scored his first early on away at Spurs before adding three more to his tally before his substitution in the second half. Spurs, who had a man sent off after 30 minutes, then eventually scored four late goals but luckily Everton’s Reece Welch’s fifth for the young Toffees secured a 5-4 win.
Graham, who has taken on more of a number 10 role at u21 level, scored seven goals in 11 games at u18 level and was unlucky not to become Everton’s first goalscorer at Bramley Moore Stadium when he struck the post in an impressive performance during the first test event earlier this year.
He has previously scored once in seven games after being promoted to u21 level at the age of just 17 and he has now taken that tally to four in eight games after tonight’s goalscoring heroics.
Graham is one of Everton’s hottest prospects having already become Linfield’s youngest ever player at the age of just 15 and becoming their youngest goalscorer in the Northern Irish top division last year.
He is the second Everton youngster in recent weeks to score four goals after Justin Clarke, who signed from AFC Wimbledon last year, scored four in an under 18s game.
While Everton’s attacking options at youth level look strong, the club’s lack of depth in defence was in evidence tonight. At 5-1 manager Paul Tait made the bizarre decision to substitute defender Aled Thomas and central midfield players Jack Patterson and Francis Gomez in favour of attacking midfielder Callum Bates, plus wingers Kingsford Boakye and Jacob Beaumont-Clark.
With strikers George Morgan and Martin Sherif, plus attacking midfielder Isaac Heath, already on the pitch it meant Everton were effectively playing with six attacking players and no holding midfielders. It allowed ten-man Spurs to score four goals in succession but Everton hung on for the win.
Everton were missing Will Tamen, a centre half signed from Burton Albion last year, but with Bradley Moonan on loan at Prescot Cables and Eli Campbell impressing at Ross County, the club is short of options in defence at u21 level.
With Reece Welch set to leave the club in the summer it leaves injury-prone Tamen and promising youngster Aled Thomas as the club’s only options at u21 level in the heart of defence. Odin Samuel-Smith is versatile and can play there too but he may be needed at full back, where right back Roman Dixon and young left back Joshua Van Schoor are good options in positions where there is very little depth.
The final unused substitute on the night was goalkeeper Luke Forsyth. He is a new signing at Everton, having previously been playing for Steven Gerrard Academy in the city. He has not played at u18 or u21 level for the club before and joined a couple of weeks ago as goalkeeping depth.
A win secures Everton’s place in the u21 PL2 playoffs and a gives the club a place in the PL International Cup, which the u21s missed out on last season.