- Albion are knocked out of the FA Youth Cup
- Michael Collins and Ellis Simms on target for Everton
- Albion improve after the break with chances for Ryan Longman and Laurent Tolaj
- The Seagulls are next in action against Norwich City on Saturday
Brighton & Hove Albion’s FA Youth Cup journey came to an end after a 2-0 defeat to Everton in a fifth round tie at Goodison Park.
Two early goals in the space of a minute from Michael Collins and Ellis Simms secured the Toffees a place in the quarter-finals, and denied the Seagulls a chance to emulate their best performance in the competition, when they reached the last eight in 2006.
Mark Beard and Mikey Harris named an unchanged line-up from the side that won 3-1 away at Manchester United in the fourth round.
The Toffees created a chance inside the opening three minutes when Ryan Astley’s header hit the bar, before Mackenzie Hunt fired the follow up wide at the far post.
The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute when Collins played a one-two with Hunt on the edge of the area and clinically fired past Roco Rees in the Albion goal.
Simms doubled Everton’s advantage just a minute later after he cut in off the left flank and beat Rees with a fierce strike from a tight angle.
Everton were having plenty of joy down the left wing, as Anthony Gordon had two efforts in quick succession, the first was saved by Rees while his second hit the side netting.
Albion created their first opening of note when Jack Spong found Ryan Longman in space, and Joe Anderson blocked the latter’s effort in the area.
Peter Gwargis was next to try his luck from distance after being teed up by Stefan Vukoje, but his shot went over the target, before the hosts came within inches of getting a third goal as Elliot Richards headed Mackenzie Hunt’s searching free kick onto the crossbar.
Simms had a chance to score his second and Everton’s third shortly after the re-start as he raced through on goal, but Rees denied the Toffees number nine with his outstretched left leg.
Longman almost engineered a lifeline for Albion when he met an in-swinging cross from the left and saw his shot blocked, before the hosts cleared the ball off the line.
Albion’s captain curled another long-range effort over the crossbar, before substitute Laurent Tolaj headed over from Sam Packham’s cross.
The Seagulls looked the more likely to score the next goal in an encouraging second-half display, as Packham saw his shot blocked from deep inside the box. Then late on, Tolaj met Longman’s ball into the box with a header that went just over the bar, and the game finished 2-0 to the Toffees.
ALBION: Rees; Packham, Lopata (Weaire 90+1), Roberts, Tanimowo; Jenks (Tolaj 69), Spong; Longman, Vukoje (Leonard 46), Gwargis; Cashman.
SUBS NOT USED: Bentley (GK), Tutt.