A first-half goal by Harry Charsley gave Everton Under 23s a 1-0 victory against Derby County at Pride Park.
A young Toffees side had to work hard for the win against a far more experienced home team, who included no less than seven players with first-team experience in their starting line-up.
Everton moved the ball well in the opening period, with Dennis Adeniran particularly eye-catching in midfield with his strong running and accurate distribution.
The Rams defence was marshalled by Jason Shackell, who has played nearly 500 games in the top two divisions of the English game, including a spell alongside Michael Keane at Burnley n the Premier League, and for all their possession Everton were restricted to long range efforts during the early exchanges.