IT has been a disappointing start to the season for Everton under-18s, as they went down to their second 2-1 defeat of the season at Coventry City on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip’s side were keen to bounce back from their opening day reverse to West Ham, but they lost again in the FA Premier Academy League.

With Luke Garbutt and Jake Bidwell away with England under-17s and several other youngsters on duty with the first team and reserves, the start of the season has seen Everton’s squad stretched. Saturday gave another chance for players to show what they can do, but in the main it was a disappointing performance.

In an even first half there were few chances. Adam Davies had to make one fine save in the Everton goal, while Lewis Codling went close.

But in the second half Coventry took over. They scored two goals and but for keeper Davies, who made three or four excellent saves, Everton would have suffered a heavier defeat.

Dewsnip’s side rallied late on and pulled it back with a fine effort from Tom Donaghan and had a couple of chances to grab a point. But they failed to take them and suffered a second successive defeat.

The Everton coach said: “We were very inexperienced in the team we put out. That said we were very disappointed, particularly with the second half performance.

“At half-time there was no reason why we couldn’t have gone on and won the game. Unfortunately the opposite happened. We defended very naively for about 20 minutes and found ourselves two goals down. And if truth be known we could have been one or two more as well.

“But we rallied, as you would hope, scored a great goal through Tom Donaghan and had two half chances to equalise. But I have to say had we won that would have been unfair on Coventry.

EVERTON UNDER-18s: Davies, Thompson, Nsiala, Murphy, Barnett, Donaghan, Craig, Orenuga, Codling, Sheppard (McAleny 25), Hope (Dobie75). Subs: Cummins, Roberts.