Toffees progress thanks to Sigurdsson stunner

HAJDUK SPLIT 1 EVERTON 1 (AGG 1-3)

Gylfi Sigurdsson marked his first Everton start with a spectacular goal to help put Ronald Koeman’s side into the group stages of the Europa League after a 1-1 away draw with Hajduk Split last night.

Everton were defending a 2-0 lead from the play-off first leg at Goodison Park, which had been marred by crowd trouble from the travelling supporters, with play stopped during the first half and governing body Uefa launching disciplinary action against both clubs.

Josip Radosevic, though, soon halved the deficit with a 30-yard effort just before halftime.

However, the Stadion Poljud was silenced less than a minute after the restart when Icelander Sigurdsson, who completed his £45 million move from Swansea last week, looped the ball in with an angled drive from just inside the Hajduk half.

Jordan Pickford then saved a penalty from Ahmed Said as Everton closed out a 3-1 aggregate win to take their place in today’s group stage draw.

Koeman afterwards hailed Sigurdsson’s “incredible” goal.

“I saw Gylfi’s goal, but I don’t think everyone on the bench did. It was incredible. I don’t have any other word for it,” Koeman said on Everton’s club website.

“You need to be really clever to see that possibility and, after two or three weeks of the season, it could be the goal of the season.

“It was really important to be level so quickly in the second half.”

Koeman added: “We dropped a little bit in the first half to be compact but I thought we did well from the start. The goal just before half-time made it difficult, but before that neither side created many chances.

“The penalty save was key as well because there were still 30 minutes to go at that time.

“Jordan is showing that we made the right decision to sign him.

“He is still a young goalkeeper and I have been really impressed by what he’s done from day one here.