KEANE MEAN & MOODY

and was not enough to distract Ronald Koeman’s side.

They took the tie by the throat, with goals from Michael Keane – his first for the club – and Idrissa Gueye before half-time.

And they could have killed the tie stone-dead when Wayne Rooney (right) came agonisingly close to adding more either side of the interval.

He saw a shot saved and headed a fraction wide.

Everton had seemed happy enough with a careful buildup, just as they were in the last round when they crept past Ruzomberok.

Not that the opening exchanges were without incident, they just seemed to all be in slow motion. Except when vibrant young talent Ademola Lookman was on the ball.

He is going to be something special and Koeman is clearly aware of that.

The Everton boss has hidden away his teenage prospect in recent months, barely using him at the end of last season or the start of this.

Yet, given his head in the Europa League, he soon had his manager out of his seat, screaming at the rest of the team to get the ball out to the right wing as often as possible, because that was where Lookman was causing such panic.

His marker, Hysen Memolla, looked terrified, backing off far too deep and Lookman needed no second invitation. As early as the fifth minute, he stung the keeper with a fierce shot.

Soon after, Davy Klaassen should have scored when the youngster got clear on the left and crossed perfectly, but the ball was a fraction away from the Dutchman’s studs.

With Cuco Martina on the right also providing a steady stream of inviting crosses, it was a rich seam for Everton to mine. So it was something of a surprise when the first goal came from the other flank.

There seemed little danger when Kevin Mirallas’ corner was cleared, but it fell to the feet of Leighton Baines and his dinked cross was perfect for Michael Keane, who powered home.

Simple, but Everton had been given a huge let-off moments before when the referee seemed to miss what looked a fair shout for a penalty as the big Split striker Franck Ohandza turned Ashley Williams in the box and tumbled over.

It was virtually the only time the visitors had ventured forward at that stage. And soon after the half hour, the visiting fans spilled on to the pitch.

It was an ugly incident that UEFA will surely investigate.

It did little to distract Everton, though, because, when play resumed, they were suddenly dominant.

The second goal came on the stroke of half-time when Rooney held the ball up brilliantly and then flicked the advanced Gueye into space in the box, and the midfielder finished with a rare calm.

And Everton held on during the second half, which was goalless, to take a vital twogoal advantage into the second leg.