Everton’s pre-season woes continue with Coventry defeat

Everton’s pre-season woes continued as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Coventry City.

Scorers: Simms 22′, Mason-Clark 62′, Torp 76′

Sean Dyche handed starts to summer signings Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam while Ellis Simms lined up against his former employers for the hosts.

The forward was involved in the first chance of the game as a goal-bound effort was blocked by teammate Tatsuhiro Sakamoto before Iroegbunam denied him at the follow-up.

Simms made no mistake as he broke the deadlock after Bobby Thomas helped on Milan van Ewijk’s cross into his path before beating João Virgínia with a rifled close-range effort.

Dyche introduced Abdoulaye Doucouré in place of Ndiaye at the start of the second half in hopes of stemming the Sky Blues’ continued ascendancy.

But Mark Robins’ side went further ahead shortly after the hour mark when Ephron Mason-Clark met Sakamoto’s cross with a powerful header.

Victor Torp piled on the misery in the closing stages at the Coventry Building Society Arena with a shot on the turn to see the visitors soundly beaten.

The Toffees are now winless in their first three pre-season outings, having followed a draw at Sligo Rovers with a late reversal to Salford City.