Two fine goals from Braiden Graham seal Everton U21s come back win in Solihull | OneFootball

Solihull Moors 1 - 2 Everton U21s

Everton Under-21s began their National League Cup campaign this evening with an excellent comeback win over Solihull Moors at Damson Park.

The National League Cup – restructured last season to introduce Premier League 2 teams – sees the Toffees take on Solihull Moors, Tamworth, Brackley Town and Rochdale in the group stage.

The home side got on the scoreboard with a really good strike into the top corner that beat George Pickford all hands down. Everton struggled to get back into the game, with Issac Heath hitting the bar before the break.

Kingsford Boyake went off injured just before the break, being replaced by Braiden Graham, who scored two excellent goals late in the second half after being put through by great work from midfield.

For the first goal, he took advantage of a defender, who slipped and lost the ball, to toe-poke it past the keeper low into the corner:

And in the last minute, he grabbed a second to secure a win for Everton and avoid the penalty shoot-out, finishing with a fine dinked chip over the goalkeeper:

Everton U21s: G Pickford; Finney, Tamen, Thomas (60' Van Schoor), Samuels-Smith; Bates, J Patterson, Boakye  (41' Graham), Heath (60' Beaumont-Clark), Clarke (60' Morgan), Okoronkwo.

Dave Abrahams 2 Posted 12/08/2025 at 21:08:13

Not sure of the score but Braiden Graham scored two goals after coming on as sub, one of them a really cracking goal.

We never lost but not sure if it was 2-1 for or 2-2 more likely to be the win.

Braiden Graham started to make a name for himself last season.

He appears to be an outstanding prospect with an eye for goal.

This competition seems to be a new thing since last season, 2024-25, although we weren't involved. Seems to be a tie-up of 16 teams from the National League who play 16 teams from PL2 in 4 groups of 8 (split 4 and 4):

Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, Fulham, Leeds United, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That was last season's selection from the 26 teams in PL2.

This season, 2025-26, we are included:

Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

I can't figure out the selection criteria.

Not having much luck embedding stuff from Twatter but the goals are well worth a look if you can get them to work.

And no sign of Adam Aznou in Paul Tait's squad? I thought he'd be a shoo-in as he's clearly not ready for the Premier League proper.

But then I'm sure the agents these days insert a clause saying their prize player will not be selected for the U21s unless recovering from injury, or some such.

Robert Tressell 8 Posted 12/08/2025 at 23:38:57

Ryan I think it’s because Moyes doesn’t trust youth on the basis he doesn’t play academy players destined for lower / non league football. Therefore he wouldn’t trust highly talented youth players with international credentials and first team experience in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues. Stands to reason surely?