Thierno Barry's Hat-Trick Leads Everton Past Preston
Thierno Barry walked off with the match ball and a statement performance as Everton tore through Preston North End to book a Carabao Cup third-round home tie against Wolves.
The forward’s first hat-trick for the club, backed up by Brennan Johnson’s long-awaited first Everton goal, turned what might have been a tricky night into a comfortable rout for David Moyes’ side.
Moyes returns to old club with serious intent
Back at the club he once managed for four years, Moyes did not treat this as a gentle reunion. He named a strong XI, making only three changes from the opening-weekend Premier League win over Crystal Palace, and Everton played like a team intent on staying sharp, not just progressing.
They were on the front foot from the first whistle. Preston, still searching for rhythm after going winless in their first two Championship games, looked stretched and second-best as Everton’s midfield dictated the tempo.
The breakthrough felt inevitable. It arrived on 25 minutes and was simple, ruthless football. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall split Preston open with a superb pass, Vitalii Mykolenko raced onto it and drilled a low cross into the six-yard box. Barry was there, exactly where a centre-forward should be, to tap home.
Everton led and looked in control. But Preston were not completely broken.
Preston threaten, but Everton punish the misses
Paul Heckingbottom had shuffled his pack, making seven changes from the weekend defeat by Wolves, and for a spell his side hinted at a way back.
Leo Leroy found space in the box and should have tested Jordan Pickford, but dragged his effort off target. It was a warning, and Everton briefly loosened their grip.
Tyler Dibling then clipped the post with a curling effort, the closest Preston came all night. Iliman Ndiaye, bright and inventive, whipped in a superb cross that begged to be finished, only for Barry to glance his header just wide at the other end.
For a moment, the game felt open. One chance either way and the mood could have shifted. Instead, Everton tightened up and turned the screw.
The pressure finally told just before the hour.
Dewsbury-Hall unleashed a fierce strike from the edge of the area that Lee Nicholls could only parry. Barry reacted quicker than anyone, pouncing on the loose ball and steering it into the net for his second. It was the goal that broke Preston’s resistance.
Barry seals it, Johnson joins the party
Preston tried to respond. Callum Lang produced an acrobatic overhead kick that forced Pickford into action, a reminder that Everton could not completely switch off.
They didn’t. They finished the job with style.
On 70 minutes, a sweeping Everton move sliced Preston open again. Substitute Brennan Johnson, eager to make an impact after his summer move from Crystal Palace, drove into space on the right and whipped in a low cross. Barry arrived to meet it, guiding the ball home to complete his hat-trick and end any remaining doubt.
By then, the tie was done. Everton, though, were not.
Johnson, who had not scored since November, finally ended his own drought with 18 minutes left. This time Barry turned provider, slipping a through ball into Johnson’s path. The forward kept his composure, drilling a low finish into the net to cap a satisfying night for both of Moyes’ attackers.
Barry now sits on four goals for the season, adding this treble to his strike in the 2-0 win over Palace. The only concern came late on when he appeared to pick up a knock before being substituted, a small cloud over an otherwise emphatic evening.
Everton move on to face Wolves at Goodison with confidence rising, their main striker scoring freely and their new signing finally off the mark. For a club desperate to build momentum, nights like this can shape a season.
