Dogged Mansfield Town battled bravely and at times made life uncomfortable for Everton’s Premier League superstars before bowing out of the Carabao Cup Second Round 2-0 tonight at the Toffees' impressive new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Stags struggled to threaten the home goal but worked their socks off all night and will have won many friends with this sterling display in defeat.
Everton probed hard at times in a superb first half for Mansfield but Liam Roberts made two good saves and otherwise the visiting defence stood firm.
Stags even dominated for a spell just before half-time and fully deserved their ovation as they left the field all square at 0-0.
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaplaceholder image
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
But a brilliant goal from Argentine Carlos Alcaraz finally ended Mansfield's resistance on 51 minutes as the Toffees went up a gear.
Without really threatening the home goal, Stags bravely stayed in the game until the 89th minute when sub Beto finished off a high quality move.
Stags were the first cup visitors at the brand new stadium, that only opened on Sunday for their first league game with Brighton, as well as the first opponents under the lights.
And they took a noisy following of over 6,000 who stayed behind them throughout.
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaplaceholder image
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
Nigel Clough stuck with the starting XI that beat Leyton Orient 4-1 last weekend but there was a first place on the bench for Forest loanee striker Joe Gardner after he had recovered from a pre-season ankle injury.
David Moyes did make six changes from the XI that beat Brighton on Sunday but it was still a mouthwateringly formidable side for Stags to test themselves against.
After setting up both goals in the 2-0 victory over Brighton, England star Jack Grealish stayed in the team.
Everton also included new signings, Argentina U23 international midfielder Alcaraz, a £12.6m capture from Flamengo, and £27m French striker Thierno Barry from Villarreal.
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaplaceholder image
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
Captain Seamus Coleman was handed his first start since May, having recovered from injury, while Ukranian international defender Vitalii Mykolenko shook off a groin issue to return at left-back.
With England keeper Jordan Pickford given a night off, Irish international goalie Mark Travers made his Toffees debut.
New £40m signing Tyler Dibling was named on their bench following the winger's signing from Southampton on Monday on a four-year contract.
Again playing their 4-2-3-1, there was no panic from Stags in the early minutes as they got a feel for the ball and played some neat passes though Bowery did cut out a superb through ball by Alcaraz.
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaplaceholder image
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
Bowery also did well to challenge Alcaraz in the box as he received a through ball and hook the danger away.
Stags' first threat on eight minutes saw a good interchange of passes down the left which ended with Knoyle having a shot charged down on the edge of the box.
A long through ball almost sent Alcaraz clear but an alert Roberts was there first to grab.
The first save of the game came on 13 minutes as the dangerous Alcarez made space 20 yards out and central and fired low to the left, Roberts down full length to turn aside for a corner.
Three minutes later Dickov sent a tame far post header at Travers from a long Reed cross.
McDonnell conceded a free kick on 18 minutes which McNeil got on target and forced Roberts to tip over.
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaplaceholder image
Action during the Carabao Cup second round tie, Everton v Mansfield Town FC at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, 27 August 2025 Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
There followed two Everton corners, but Roberts caught the second and Stags had reached the midway point of the half without conceding.
Typical trickery from Grealish saw him pick out a pass to his right to McNeil, who should have done better than fire well over from 12 yards on 24 minutes.
Grealish was the culprit a minute later as, from almost the same spot, he was found by Garner from the right and also sent a first time effort over the bar.
On 34 minutes Grealish played in Harrison on the right of the box but Roberts was always safely behind his low, angled finish.
Stags soaked up some more pressure and then enjoyed a good spell of possession of their own and a couple of dangerous crosses into the box which had the away fans producing some fantastic decibels as a superb first half's display from the League One side ended all square.
The Toffees were quickly on the front foot again after the break and Grealish forced Roberts to save at his near post from a tight angle on 49 minutes.
But the breakthrough came two minutes later as Armstrong cued up Alcaraz just outside the box and the Argentine curled a magnificent finish inside the right post and high into the net, giving Roberts no chance.
On the hour Everton sent on Beto and new boy Dibling for Barry and Grealish while Stags made a triple change with Hewitt, Bolton and McLaughlin on for Knoyle, Dickov and Blake-Tracy.
Garner was well wide from 35 yards on 65 minutes and a minute later Reed picked up an injury and was replaced by Maris.
Soon after, Bolton was sent down the left by McLaughlin, cut inside and saw Tarkowski head away his on-target blast.
McLaughlin did well to dispossess Beto in the box, then minutes later Evans lost the ball as he tried to keep possession and it ran kindly into the path of Beto, who shot straight at Roberts in the 72nd minute.
Lone striker Evans departed on 76 minutes, replaced by defender Sweeney, Bowery pushed up front.
A minute later Beto headed wide from a left wing cross before the home side made two more changes.
Stags continued to give their all but Everton were happy to keep possession and quickly win it back whenever Mansfield briefly had the ball.
Sub Ndiaye got into the left of the box on 86 minutes and his low shot found the sidenetting.
But Beto finally sealed Everton's passage a minute from the end with the move of the match as Garner's cutting pass on the left to O'Brien cut Stags open and he laid it on a plate for a simple close range tap-in for Beto.
McDonnell's superb sliding challenge in the six yard box denied Beto a second in added time.
EVERTON: Travers, Keane, Tarkowski, McNeil (Iroegbunam 77), Barry (Beto 60), Mykolenko ( O'Brien 87), Grealish (Dibling 60), Coleman, Alcaraz (Ndiaye 77), Garner, Armstrong. SUBS NOT USED: King, Dewsbury-Hall, Onyango, Campbell.
STAGS: Roberts, Knoyle (Hewitt 60), Cargill, Bowery, Evans (Sweeney 76), McDonnell, Dickov (Bolton 60), Blake-Tracy (McLaughlin 60), Moriah-Welsh, Hendry, Reed (Maris 66). SUBS NOT USED: Mason, Lewis, Dwyer, Gardner.
REFEREE: Thomas Bramall.
ATTENDANCE: 48,583.
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