Everton crashed out of the League Cup after a shock 2-1 defeat against sleeping giants Championship club Leeds in the third round on Tuesday.
The Toffees have made a fine start to the Premier League season and sit third in the table after Saturday's 3-0 win at Swansea, but boss David Moyes made six changes at Elland Road and his reserves were no match for rampant Leeds.
Neil Warnock's team took the lead through Aidy White's fourth-minute goal and Rodolph Austin's effort with 20 minutes left saw Leeds through despite Sylvain Distin's late header.
While Everton harbour hopes of finishing in the Premier League's top four, the League Cup represented their best chance of ending the club's 17-year trophy drought and Moyes will be disappointed his team crumbled so easily.
Sloppy passing from Steven Naismith and Seamus Coleman allowed Austin to steal possession in the fourth minute and he passed to White, who danced past several challenges before curling a fine strike past Jan Mucha for his first Leeds goal.
Warnock's men threatened a second goal when Luciano Becchio and El-Hadji Diouf combined to play in White, whose low shot was well stopped by Mucha.
Then Becchio wasted a golden chance when he headed a Diouf cross straight at Mucha, with Naismith clearing the loose ball off the line.
Naismith should have equalised on the hour, but the Scottish forward headed Victor Anichebe's cross wide from close-range.
Austin put Leeds in control in the 70th minute when Diouf the ball pulled back for Danny Pugh, whose goalbound effort was turned in by Austin.
Everton managed to scramble a reply when French defender Distin headed in with nine minutes left, but Leeds held on.
Source: AFP
