As Everton prepared to face Newcastle in the fourth round of the EFL Cup at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Thursday, the stakes were high.

A quarter-final tie against League Two opposition in Fleetwood awaited the winner, and a fanbase starved of trophies began to look ahead - albeit, for some, through covered eyes.

The unwanted headline around Jack Grealish's omission threatened to derail preparations for the latest round of a competition that perhaps offers Everton's best chance of winning a trophy for the first time in 31 years.

Instead, the club's younger players came to the fore, led by the influential Hayden Hackney.

A £16.5m summer signing from Middlesbrough, the 24-year-old made light of his inexperience at the highest level against a strong Newcastle XI, assisting James Garner's opening goal before scoring Everton's second with a close-range volley.

Hackney, though, has needed to be patient early in his Everton career.

After starting the opening game of the season - a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace - his only subsequent start prior to Thursday's cup victory was in the third round of the same competition against Wolves.

The central midfielder is not known for being prolific - the fourth-round win was only the second time in his career he had scored and assisted in the same game - but he knitted together phases of possession and carried the ball with the confidence that led to him being named Championship player of the year last season.

David Moyes, though, is a demanding manager and one perfectly prepared to keep young feet on the ground.

"I thought there were bits of his game that were very good," said the Everton boss. "Getting a goal was great. There were other bits where I didn't think it was where it was [supposed to be].

"But I see this as a bit of bringing in Championship players, getting them used to the Premier League. A couple of times he got caught on the ball.

"But I really enjoyed bits. He gave us a bit of an attacking play, getting into the box, and obviously getting the goal was really good. A really good assist from Thierno Barry as well, to be fair."