U23 Report: Southampton 1-1 Everton

Both of the game’s goals arrived in the first half of an entertaining contest on Monday evening, 24 hours on from the first teams’ meeting at St Mary’s.

Everton’s Oumar Niasse gave the visitors a 34th minute lead with a well-struck volley, but his effort  was cancelled out around a minute later when Olomola struck an effort in off the post.

From there, both teams had chances to win it, with the visitors perhaps going closest, but Saints went on to become only the second team to draw with the Toffees at this level this season. 

Everton got the game under way and made a stronger start to the contest than the hosts.

Southampton ‘keeper Harry Lewis was called upon twice inside the opening quarter of an hour to deny both Calum Connolly’s powerful shot which was beaten away, and then Lewis denied Dominic Calvert-Lewis’ low shot on the turn.

Saints grew into the game, with Willard playing in Olomola, and the striker brought a fine one handed save out of Mateusz Hewelt as the ball looked as though it was going to dip in under the crossbar.

But after Isgrove fired wide, the visitors took the lead just past the half hour mark at the other end.

Jon Joe Kenny’s cross from the right was caught sweetly on the volley by Oumar Niasse, whose well-struck finish gave Lewis no chance as it flew into the right side of the goal.

Saints recovered quickly however, and were level within a minute when Isgrove’s run into the box saw the winger find Olomola, who then stayed strong to poke the ball in off the right post for his eighth goal of the campaign.

At the end of the half Jon Joe Kenny fired wide at the far post, and Calvert-Lewin headed an effort just past the post, but the teams remained level going into the break.

Saints forward Marcus Barnes was introduced from the bench at the start of the second half with the striker replacing Harley Willard to sit just behind Olomola in attack.

And the hosts remained a threat with Thomas O’Connor firing a shot from range which took a deflection as it went narrowly wide of Mateusz Hewelt’s left post.

The Toffees offered a response when Conor Grant drilled a shot in at the far post, but Lewis was equal to it. Moments later, Callum Connolly blazed a shot over from inside the area when he perhaps ought to have done better.

Everton defender Mason Holgate became the second Toffees player to go into the book when he fouled Isgrove just outside the area. Callum Slattery stepped up to take the free-kick, but his effort cleared the crossbar on its way out of play.

Connolly tested Lewis a couple of times late on, the first a rising shot from the left hand side of the area, while the Saints ‘keeper also got firmly behind a free-kick on target.

Both Florin Gardos and Olomola each went off with knocks in the closing stages for the hosts, with Saints holding out to secure a point.