**Everton’s pre-season ended the way these games often do — a strong performance undone in the final minutes.**
Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half penalty had the Blues ahead for the best part of an hour before Hakon Arnar Haraldsson snatched a 90th-minute equaliser for Lille at the Hill Dickinson.
David Moyes named a strong side for the final warm-up before next week’s opener against Crystal Palace.
Jordan Pickford started in goal having only rejoined the squad on Thursday. Harrison Armstrong made his sixth appearance of the summer, with Hayden Hackney alongside him in midfield.
Tyler Dibling took up the right-sided role, and Thierno Barry led the line ahead of Beto.
James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam remain sidelined, while Christian Norgaard is still waiting for his first minutes since arriving from Arsenal.
New signing Brennan Johnson had to settle for a place among the substitutes.
Everton were the brighter side from the off. Barry forced an early save, and Dibling had the home crowd on their feet with a nutmeg before his footing let him down.
Lille’s first meaningful spell came after roughly seven minutes, but Pickford saved well, and Everton hit back immediately: Ndiaye slid Dibling in behind, only for the winger to be denied by a smart stop from Ozer.
The game was held up when 39-year-old Olivier Giroud went down with a knee injury; he tried to play on before being replaced by Diaouane.
Everton kept probing — Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall combined well, and a deflected Ndiaye effort off Dewsbury-Hall went close.
The breakthrough came just before the break.
Vitaliy Mykolenko’s ball forward sent Dewsbury-Hall away, and he was brought down in the box for a clear penalty.
Ndiaye stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-0.
Lille responded before half-time — Bentaleb tested Pickford and then curled another effort just wide — but the Blues went in ahead.
Moyes made wholesale changes after the break, seven in one go, including the arrival of Tyrique George and Johnson.
Everton continued to create the better chances: George skipped past three defenders to tee up Johnson, whose shot was tipped over, and Beto’s header from the resulting corner was well saved.
Lille gradually found a foothold and were impressive through Ayyoub Bouaddi, who looks to be heading to Manchester City.
There was late drama at both ends. Aleksandro’s attempted pass back to his own goalkeeper drifted agonisingly past the post, and Mark Travers was called into two smart saves as Lille pushed for an equaliser.
Everton had the ball in a promising position deep into stoppage time before Bouaddi won it back off Rohl’s toes — and from the resulting break, Haraldsson finished amid a scramble in the box to level it at the death.
**Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.** Ndiaye’s finishing and movement caught the eye, but Dewsbury-Hall’s distribution and tireless running set the tone throughout a dominant first-half display — and it was his run that won the penalty.
Moyes will hopefully have taken plenty from this. Dibling and Ndiaye caused problems from the first minute, Harrison Armstrong continues to look like a genuine option in midfield, and the strength in depth through the middle of the park — Hackney, Dewsbury-Hall, Armstrong, Garner and Norgaard among the options — is a marked upgrade on last season.
The late goal will sting a bit given the game was there to be won, but with ten changes made across the 90+ minutes, it was generally a useful afternoon.
Palace up next.