Thierno Barry's Hat-Trick Leads Everton Past Preston in Carabao Cup
Thierno Barry needed just two games to announce himself at Goodison Park. On a sharp, ruthless night in the Carabao Cup, he walked off with the match ball and Preston North End with a heavy defeat.
Everton’s new striker hit his first hat-trick for the club in a dominant win that booked a home third-round tie against Wolves. By the end, the only surprise was that Preston had ever been in the contest at all.
Brennan Johnson, another of the summer arrivals, finally snapped his own barren run with his first goal for the Toffees as David Moyes’ side eased past Championship opposition with a performance that looked every inch a Premier League outfit taking care of business.
Moyes means business
Moyes knows Deepdale better than most. He spent four years in charge of Preston, but there was no room for sentiment here. He named a strong Everton XI, making just three changes from the opening-weekend league win over Crystal Palace.
The intent showed immediately. Everton pinned Preston back, moved the ball crisply and hunted in packs when they lost it. The visitors barely had time to breathe, let alone build.
The breakthrough felt inevitable. It arrived on 25 minutes and it was beautifully constructed. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall split the Preston back line with a superb pass into space for Vitalii Mykolenko, the full-back drove to the byline and cut the ball across goal. Barry, alive to the moment, was there to tap in from close range.
Everton were in front. They never really loosened their grip.
Preston’s half-chances, Everton’s control
Paul Heckingbottom, still searching for his first league win of the season after two winless Championship outings, rolled the dice with seven changes from the weekend defeat by Wolves. For a brief spell, it almost paid off.
Leo Leroy found himself with a decent opening inside the box, only to drag his effort off target. It was the kind of chance a side under pressure simply has to take.
Tyler Dibling then clipped the post, a reminder that Everton’s high line could be got at if Preston were brave enough. Iliman Ndiaye, bright and inventive, whipped in a teasing cross for Barry at the other end, but the forward glanced his header just wide.
Those moments felt important. They were. Preston’s failure to land a punch only invited Everton to tighten the screw.
Barry takes over
Just before the hour, the pressure finally told again and Barry doubled his tally.
Dewsbury-Hall, excellent between the lines all evening, stepped onto a loose ball and unleashed a fierce drive from the edge of the area. Preston goalkeeper Lee Nicholls could only push it back into the danger zone. Barry reacted first, quickest, and guided the rebound into the net.
At 2-0, the tie looked done. Preston tried to respond, and Callum Lang briefly stirred Jordan Pickford with an ambitious overhead kick that the England keeper had to watch carefully. It was a flash of defiance rather than a turning point.
Everton simply went up a gear.
On 70 minutes, Barry completed his hat-trick. A slick move carved Preston open, substitute Johnson burst down the flank and whipped in a low cross. Barry, timing his run perfectly, met it and turned the ball home. Three for him, three for Everton, and the Carabao Cup ball tucked under his arm in spirit if not yet in reality.
Johnson joins the party
By then, Goodison could enjoy itself. Johnson, who arrived from Crystal Palace in the summer, had not scored since November. That drought ended with 18 minutes left.
This time Barry turned provider, sliding a through ball into Johnson’s path. The forward drove in behind and drilled a low finish into the net, a clean, confident strike that hinted at a player ready to reset his season.
Barry’s night ended with a slight concern. Having already taken his tally to four goals for the campaign, adding this treble to his strike in the 2-0 win over Palace, he appeared to pick up a knock and was withdrawn late on.
Everton will hope it is nothing serious. With Wolves coming to Goodison in the next round and Barry already looking like the sharp edge Moyes has craved, they can ill afford to lose the man who has turned their early-season promise into something far more dangerous.
