MK Dons 1-3 Everton - Deulofeu inspires Toffees to victory

Everton continued their winning start to pre-season with a 3-1 victory against League One side MK Dons.

Gerard Deulofeu and Ross Barkley - scorers at Barnsley on Saturday - put Everton ahead before Giorgio Rasulo pulled one back before half-time.

Substitute Muhamed Besic secured the victory with five minutes remaining when his deflected header looped beyond goalkeeper David Martin.

It was a second victory in the space of four days for the Toffees and more importantly allowed 21 players to get a run out as the squad build up their fitness for the new season.

Ronald Koeman made eight changes to the side that won at Oakwell on Saturday including first starts for Maarten Stekelenburg and Shani Tarashaj.

Everton went ahead after just two minutes at the Stadium:mk when Deulofeu raced onto a poor backpass, rounded goalkeeper Martin and scrambled home from close range.

Deulofeu then set up Everton’s second on 19 minutes when the Spaniard surged to the byline and crossed for Barkley to volley into the corner.

Stekelenburg had been largely untroubled up to that point but was picking the ball out of his net before half time when Rasulo powered the ball into the corner from the edge of the box.

MK Dons nearly equalised before the break but Stekelenburg and then Bryan Oviedo blocked the ball on the line.

Aiden McGeady came off the bench for his first action of pre-season and had a great chance to extend Everton’s lead early in the second half but fired timidly at the ‘keeper when well placed inside the area.

The raft of substitutions soon followed, predictably disrupting the flow of the game.

Koeman’s side confirmed the victory late on when McGeady crossed for the onrushing Besic, whose header deflected off George Williams and looped into the corner.

Everton’s pre-season continues in Germany with the Dresden Cup featuring games against Dynamo Dresden on Friday and Real Betis on Saturday.