Thierno Barry’s first-half goal proved enough to see Everton to a 1-0 victory over 10-man Town on the Blues’ first ever visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium. Barry deflected home the game’s only goal on 11 with both sides having plenty of chances and the Frenchman seeing a header controversially ruled out by VAR, before Abdul Fatawu was sent off for a second bookable offence on 67.

Town boss Gary O’Neil made two changes from the team which won 3-2 at Crystal Palace last Saturday with Christian Walton and Abdoul Ouattara coming into the team.

Walton replaced Kjell Scherpen in goal, making his first league appearance of the season, with the Dutchman dropping to the bench, while Ouattara was handed his full Premier League debut at right-back. Jacob Greaves was also among the subs with skipper Dara O’Shea moving to the left side of the centre of the defence.

Darnell Furlong was back on the bench, having captained in midweek against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, with Cedric Kipre left out of the squad.

Town were wearing black armbands in tribute to Noah Woods, the three-year-old boy who was found dead in Brantham earlier in the week, and Graham O’Neil, the Blues boss's father who died on Thursday.

For Everton, who also wore black armbands, Jack Grealish came into the team for his first Premier League start of the season with Tyrique George dropping out of the XI, the only change from the team which drew 0-0 at Tottenham last week.

Former Blues loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles started at right-back, while Everton named two keepers on their bench, Mark Travers and Tom King.

After Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had blazed over following a throw, the Blues, in their cream and black away kit, created their first chance, Fatawu skipping between two defenders on the right, cutting in but over-hitting his low reverse pass into Emersonn’s path, Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal claiming.

As the clock ticked past the three-minute mark, both sets of fans stood to applaud in tribute to Noah Woods.

Town were very fortunate not to go behind in the fifth minute when Harrison Armstrong played a ball into Brennan Johnson’s feet inside the box and the frontman, the son of former Blues striker David, rolled his man but somehow shot across the face and wide when it seemed easier to score.

Everton were rode their luck in the ninth minute when Dewsbury-Hall inexplicably passed straight to Julio Enciso, scorer of a brilliant goal in the corresponding fixture two years ago, with the Paraguayan just outside the area. Enciso moved it on to Emersonn but the Brazilian’s shot from a tight angle was blocked by Pickford with Jack Clarke furious the ball hadn’t been cut back to him.

Two minutes later, the Toffees went in front with the goal having more than an element of good fortune about it.

After Walton had punched clear a cross from the left, home skipper James Tarkowski’s volley from distance flew straight at Barry, who reacted quickly to divert past the keeper and into the net with his chest, the Frenchman’s fifth goal of the season and second in the Premier League.

Despite having gone behind, Town began to get on top and dominate the ball, and in the 18th minute Sasa Lukic played a clever ball in for Enciso in the area, the Paraguayan working an opportunity but his shot was blocked by Vitalii Mykolenko.

A minute later, Fatawu’s corner which hit the first defender looped back to the Ghanaian, who smashed a shot from the tight angle through the crowded area, Pickford doing very well to react and palm it past his right post. Clarke had been close to getting a touch.

Town continued to take the game to the Toffees with the home fans showing their annoyance and on 27 the Blues weren’t far away from levelling when Fatawu picked the ball up, nutmegged James Garner and then looked to loft the ball over Pickford from 40 yards, however, the England keeper was able to get back to push it wide to his left.

Everton began to get more into it again as the half-hour mark passed, Dewsbury-Hall slamming a volley into Issa Diop after a cross from the right had been nodded out by Lukic.

Town repeatedly struggled to work their way out of their final third and on 33 Garner shot powerfully against Diop, before Barry missed a very good chance to make it 2-0. Maitland-Niles whipped over a cross from the right and the unmarked striker stooped and headed wide.

Two minutes later, the Blues slickly passed their way up the pitch, Emersonn sweeping out to Clarke on the left and the winger crossing to the far post where the Brazilian nodded wide.

From the restart, Town were caught a little cold and Fatawu was booked for hauling back Dewsbury-Hall as his fellow former Leicester man looked to break towards the area.

The Blues should have levelled in the 38th minute. Fatawu crossed from the right to Davis, who was unmarked at the far post, but the left-back, who has already scored twice this season, scuffed across the face and wide when it seemed easier to score, perhaps assuming he was offside, which replays suggested he wasn’t.

On 42, Mykolenko was shown his side’s first yellow card of the match for a late challenge on Fatawu with the forward bursting away from him at pace in the centre circle.

That was the last action of a half during which both sides will feel they should have taken more chances.

Davis will feel he should have scored with his opportunity, while Pickford had made two excellent saves from Fatawu and Town might have made more of other situations.

Everton, whose goal had some element of good fortune, even if Barry did well to react, will believe Johnson and Barry ought to have taken other opportunities.

Town began the second half on the front foot, Clarke finding Enciso on the left of the area but Pickford saving sharply at his near post.

The Blues continued to have the better of it and on 49 Ouattara launched a powerful 30-yard strike which Pickford uncomfortably bundled away, the ball having wobbled significantly in the air even if it was always close to the keeper.

Everton began to see more of the ball and on 58 a patient build-up from the back led to Dewsbury-Hall crossing from the left and O’Shea doing well to turn the ball behind ahead of Barry.

From the resultant corner taken by Dewsbury-Hall on the right, the Toffees thought they’d doubled their lead, Barry flicking a header into the far corner of the net. However, after a VAR review with referee Stuart Attwell having had a look at the screen on the far side, it was ruled out as Johnson was in an offside position and deemed to be interfering with the goalkeeper.

It was a lucky escape for the Blues with the goal almost certainly standing only a couple of years ago.

Town returned to looking for an equaliser, Enciso turning a shot over the bar from a cross from the right.

Barry headed to Walton on 64 from Grealish’s ball, then Davis appeared to get a touch on a low cross from the left ahead of Johnson, who scuffed wide.

Both sides made changes in the 66th minute, the Blues swapping Clarke for Jaden Philogene, making his 50th appearance for the club, and Everton replacing Johnson with Tyler Dibling.

A minute later, Town were reduced to 10 men. Fatawu brought the ball in from the right and as he went past Dewsbury-Hall went to ground. Referee Attwell immediately reached for his yellow card and then his red, VAR upholding the decision.

As the game moved into its final 20 minutes, Dewsbury-Hall volleyed over after a corner from the left had been punched to the edge of the area by Walton, then on 73 Armstrong blazed well over.

The Blues made two further subs, Florentino and Daizen Maeda replacing Lukic and Enciso.

Everton were by now dominating, Dibling cutting in from the right on 76 and Walton batting away his shot towards the far post.

A minute later, the former Southampton man crossed from the right and Dewsbury-Hall headed wide at the far post when it looked easier to score, and one side of the ground thought he had. Soon after, Dibling, who had quickly made a strong impression off the bench, shot into the side-netting.

On 78, Emersonn required treatment with Everton swapping Grealish for George. Emersonn then made way for Zian Flemming, while Chuba Akpom replaced Palacios as Town moved to a 4-3-2 system with two out-and-out number nines.

Davis did well to block from Dibling, before the Blues began to put the home side under some pressure after Akpom forced an error but Town were unable to create a clear-cut chance.

Town were unhappy with referee Attwell in the 87th minute when play was restarted after the ball had hit him and Everton were able to burst away towards the Blues’ goal, however, Armstrong’s shot shanked miles off target.

Ahead of seven additional minutes, Everton swapped Dewsbury-Hall and Maitland-Niles for one-time Blues target Hayden Hackney and Jake O’Brien. Moments later, Flemming was booked for a foul on Tarkowski.

Town weren’t far from levelling in the 94th minute when a half-cleared cross bounced up to Flemming, but the Dutch striker was unable to get over it and it lofted into the stand.

The Blues had one final opportunity before the end, O’Shea nodding a free-kick from deep down and Diop smashing a powerful shot against a defender.

Town continued to look for an opening but with the home fans wondering why the game was still going a while after the allotted injury time, and following a shaky Pickford punch out, referee Attwell confirmed Everton’s second Premier league victory of the season.

The Blues had an uphill task once Fatawu had been red-carded and the Toffees had more than enough chances to add to their victory with poor finishing and Town defending having prevented them from doing so, while Everton will feel the earlier header shouldn’t have been ruled out by VAR.

But Town kept going and in the end had a couple chances to claim a point at the end via Flemming, but the striker was unable to keep his difficult chance down, while Diop’s effort looked on its way in until it was blocked.

The Blues go into the international break in mid-table on six points, a tally most fans would have taken at this stage and certainly a better position than was the case at the same point two years ago. Town’s next match is at home to Fulham on Saturday 10th October.

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski (c), Maitland-Niles (O’Brien 91), Garner, Armstrong, Johnson (Dibling 66), Dewsbury-Hall (Hackney 91), Grealish (George 79), Barry. Unused: Travers, King, Keane, Alcatraz, Graham.

Town: Walton, Davis, O’Shea (c), Diop, Ouattara, Palacios (Akpom 81), Lukic (Florentino 73), Clarke (Philogene 66), Enciso (Maeda 73), Fatawu, Emersonn (Flemming 81). Unused: Scherpen, Furlong, Greaves, Nunez, Maeda. Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire). Assistants: Wade Smith and Steven Meredith. Fourth official: Ruebyn Ricardo. VAR: Andrew Kitchen. Assistant VAR: Josh Smith. Att: 52,008.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters