Everton have reclaimed some pride in a disastrous Europa League campaign by signing off with a 3-0 win over Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, a result which saw them avoid the humiliation of finishing bottom of Group E.
Youngster Ademola Lookman put the Blues - who like their hosts were already eliminated from the competition ahead of kickoff - on course for their first and only win of the group phase with a brace in the first half, before summer signing Nikola Vlasic added a second in the dying stages of the match.
Lookman caused the Cypriot outfit problems throughout, and he almost gave Everton the lead with less than 10 minutes on the clock when he latched on to Davy Klaassen's measured through-ball and forced a save out of Apollon goalkeeper Tasos Kissas from close range.
Kissas was in good form for the hosts, and he was called into action again moments later, tipping a curling effort from young debutant Fraser Hornby behind at full stretch to maintain the stalemate.
The Cypriots put Everton under pressure through their front pairing of Fotis Papoulis and Adrian Sardinero in the first period, but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a young Toffees side.
Their opponents broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Vlasic raced along the right flank and swung a cross into the six-yard box for Lookman to meet with a header, the former Charlton Athletic man's effort dipping below the crossbar and into the net.
Everton and Lookman were flying, and he helped himself to his second following a blistering team move that involved 26 passes, the young forward capping off the attack by rifling a screamer into the top corner.
Apollon gave a good account of themselves for brief spells and had the ball in the net just before half time when Papoulis lobbed Blues goalkeeper Joel Robles with a header, only to be thwarted by the linesman's flag.
The second half was a scrappier affair which lacked the flow of the first, but Lookman almost had his hat-trick just before the hour mark when he gained possession in the box and attempted to beat Kissas from an acute angle, the Apollon goalkeeper making himself big to block the forward's low drive.
Kissas foiled Everton yet again in the 74th minute when he pulled off a double stop to deny Kevin Mirallas, and then Hornby on the rebound as the young striker failed to get any power behind his follow-up effort.
The Blues were made to wait until three minutes from time to net their third, and it came through Vlasic, who latched on to a ball over the top and guided a strike beyond Kissas from close range.
Although the win helped Everton avoid finishing bottom of their Europa League group, their return of just four points from six matches is the worst for an English side in the history of the competition, beating Wigan Athletic's haul of five points in 2013-14.
Everton (4-2-3-1): Robles; Baningime, Feeney, Charsley (Alex Denny, 91'); Schneiderlin, Besic, Klaasen; Vlasic, Mirallas (Anthony Gordon, 89'), Lookman; Hornby (Nathan Broadhead, 82')
Apollon Limassol (4-4-2): Kissas; Jander, Roberge, Pitian, Pedro; Sachetti, Allan, Martinez (Ioannis Pittas, 75'); Papoulis, Schembri (Emilio Zelaya, 60'), Sardinero (Antonio Jakolis, 61')
Mark Langshaw
