Everton played the first men’s first team match at Hill Dickinson Stadium this afternoon, hosting AS Roma in a contest that served as both the Toffees’ final preseason game as well as the final test event for the new ground.
The stadium looked magnificent and Everton at times showed themselves to be up for the task the moment asked of them, but in the end, a goal in the 70th minute from Roma’s Matias Soulé proved to be enough for the visitors to get the win.
There were some bright spots for Everton on the day, most notably the debut of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, just days after his signing was confirmed by the club. The new boy looked bright with the ball and showed a shrewd ability to get the ball forward, linking up well with fellow attacking players Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz, and Thierno Barry, who got a surprise start from manager David Moyes.
An early injury to left back Vitalii Mykolenko brought Adam Aznou onto the pitch a lot earlier than Moyes would have preferred, and may force the teenager into immediate Premier League action sooner than anticipated.
To his credit, the Moroccan international never looked out of his depth, which may be a clue as to his readiness to contribute right away.
By and large, the main issue from the last few seasons — the ability to finish — continued to plague Everton in this match. The combination of Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, and Alcaraz proved to be quite creatively adept, finding a number of passes through the channels that lead to near-chances.
But Barry, getting his first start since joining Everton right before the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, wasn’t nearly clinical enough. So even though the Toffees produced chances, none, outside a late glancing header from Alcaraz, asked much of the Roma goalkeeper.
So there is still work to do before Everton travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United on August 18 to kickoff the Premier League campaign.
But the bones of a decent side are there, even if they could use a few more depth pieces, especially if Mykolenko is already down for an extended period. The first few weeks of the season, and by extension, the last few of the transfer window, will be vital to build up the squad.