Evan Ferguson strikes again in Brighton hammering of Everton

Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson well and truly announced his arrival on the Premier League stage as he scored for the second consecutive game in Brighton and Hove Albion's 4-1 destruction of Everton at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.

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The 18-year-old earned a start for the Seagulls after poking home a consolation goal against Arsenal on New Year's Eve.

He spectacularly justified Roberto De Zerbi's faith with an all-action performance that will do little to calm the hype around the former Bohemians teenager's potential.

Former Bray Wanderers midfielder Andrew Moran also made his Premier League debut off the bench in what was a very good night for the two young Irish players.

For Everton manager Frank Lampard though, the pressure has escalated.

Any sliver of confidence gained from the weekend's creditable draw at Manchester City was shattered by a performance lacking guts and guile and justifiably greeted with loud boos.

It was typified by a catastrophic seven-minute spell at the start of the second half in which they conceded three soft goals to Ferguson, Solly March and Pascal Gross to add to Kaoru Mitoma's early first-half strike.

Demarai Gray's added-time penalty consolation merely prompted yet more chants of 'Sack the board'.

For the second successive home match the Toffees were booed off as a pivotal month in which they are required to, at the very least, beat fellow strugglers Southampton and West Ham and make some new signings began in the worst possible fashion.

One win and seven defeats in the last 10 matches have left Everton teetering on the edge of the relegation zone and Lampard under severe pressure four weeks away from his first anniversary at the club.

There are no such concerns for