ATV Irdning 0-22 Everton: Silva's Blues kick off pre-season in record goal-scoring fashion

A report of Everton's 22-0 win over ATV Irdning.

ATV Irdning 0-22 Everton: Silva's Blues kick off pre-season in record goal-scoring fashion
connor-bennett
By Connor Bennett

Everton picked up their biggest ever recorded win with a 22-0 demolition of ATV Irdning in their first game under new manager Marco Silva.

The Blues were far too strong for the opposition, who ply their trade in the Austrian fifth-tier, as they stormed to victory in their first pre-season game.

Cenk Tosun knocked in four in the first 45 minutes as Silva's side held a half-time lead of 10-0. Half-time substitute Kevin Mirallas then went one better and bagged five goals - including a six-minute hat-trick to kick off the second period.

Ademola Lookman and Oumar Niasse also chimed in with their own hat-tricks either side of half-time. Lookman supporting Tosun in the first period whilst Niasse joined Mirallas in the second 45.

However, the scoring began with defenders.

Leighton Baines opened the scoring with less than five minutes on the clock. The defender swept home at the far post following a wonderfully clever ball from Kieran Dowell.

Mason Holgate then doubled the lead a few moments later, knocking home a rebound after Morgan Schneiderlin directed a header goalwards from a Dowell free-kick.

Holgate's defensive partner Michael Keane then had a Blues' third ruled out for a foul from a corner but he struck again from the next set-piece, with a looping header over a beaten David Gabriel in the Irdning net.

Tosun's first-half

If anyone, the first-half belonged to Tosun.

The Turkish forward, who joined from Beskitas in January, is looking to stamp his mark and make that he is the man to lead Silva's team from the front when the Premier League season starts next month.

He made that abundantly clear with his collection of first-half finishes. All four were different - including the pick of his bunch as he rounded the goalkeeper and two defenders beyond him and tapped home.

Whilst that was the pick of his bunch, Lookman took the pick of the bunch - at least, for goals scored by Everton players.

His first was a wonderfully struck effort from just outside the 18-yard-box that wrong-footed Gabriel and left the beaten 'keeper standing.

His second showcased just what the Blues had been lacking when he departed for RB Leipzig on loan in January.

The young winger controlled a deep cross before shaking off two defenders, before hesitating and letting Gabriel slip to the floor, before stroking home into the near corner.

Complete control

Once the second-half got underway, if the game wasn't already a farce at 10-0, it was certainly going to reach that level.

Mirallas netted after first less than 60 seconds after the restart. He then bagged his second three minutes later before wrapping up his hat-trick just after the 50 minutes mark.

The pick of his goals, his second, a solo effort where he beat three defenders, wasn't even the best of the second period.

Instead, that honour belongs to Irdning midfielder Sebastian Schmid.

A calamitous own-goal saw him lob his own goalkeeper from 25-yards out after he misplayed a pass from a fellow defender as the Blues looked to press high.

At that point, the Blues led 19-0 and had already broken a 133-year-old record for the most goals scored by an Everton side in a recorded game.

Nikola Vlasic added a bizarre goal of his own in the second-half. As he bore down on the opposing 'keeper, the 'keeper moved out the way and allowed the Croatian playmaker to stroke home.

Niasse joined the litany of goalscorers with a cool finish from outside the box. He also joined the party of bizarre goals after netting with his chest.

Cuco Martina attempted to head home but headed wrongly and found the Senegalese forward. Jokingly, the Everton defender appealed for an own goal, but Niasse already had his goal.

Silva's take aways

There will be little for the new Everton boss to take away from this game in a tactical manner but his side worked hard and maintained their professionalism through the game.

After undergoing a training session before kick-off, legs could have been wary but the Blues pressed from the off and were energetic throughout.

The games will get much harder than this one, especially next weekend when Silva's squad jet off to Portugal to face FC Porto and Lille in the Algarve Football Cup.

Before then, they will take on Bury next Wednesday and will get key players such as Gylfi Sigurdsson and Idrissa Gueye back from their World Cup break.

Silva won't be expecting another goal glut against the Shakers but will want to see improvement from his side against tougher opposition than they faced in Austria.