Sean Lundon drew plenty of positives from the spirited performance of a young Everton team which exited the Lancashire Senior Cup following defeat by Rochdale.
Everton led the quarter-final tie at USM Finch Farm when Manasse Mampala struck with an accomplished first-time finish on 43 minutes.
Mampala’s strike partner Anthony Gordon converted a penalty with 11 minutes remaining. But Rochdale scored three times in the intervening period – levelling on the stroke of half-time before netting twice inside three second-half minutes – and Everton were unable to conjure up an equaliser following Gordon’s effort.