Vile weather and the visit of some accomplished continental keep-ball merchants had all the makings of a pre-season Goodison boo-fest.

However, solid and spirited performances from both teams resulted in an entertaining game edged by the Blues thanks to a first-half Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty. 

The only negatives from the game were a late injury to James Tarkowski and the realisation that we missed out massively by not signing Victor Gyokeres. The Swede runs like James Beattie but has the attitude of Luis Suarez, minus the issues around biting and casual racism. He turns every ball played up to him into a playground blazer-over-head-sweaty-headlock fight with the tormented centre half. He would have been an amazing signing for us. 

Tarkowski limped off with about five minutes of the match remaining, which is possibly the most Everton thing ever. On the other hand, Jarrad Branthwaite played the second half and didn’t look out of place at all. The colossal Cumbrian used to seem a bit spindly and awkward, but not any more; he looks like he spent the summer at Johnny Phillips’ gym. He will be first choice England centre half for a decade and it’s really no surprise that the we-shit-money-for-fun clubs are all showing an interest. If they are going to cash in – which they inevitably will, right kids? – Everton need to demand Declan Rice dough.

They also need to have a word with Sean Dyche about them pointy recruitment consultant ‘dress shoes’ he wears on matchdays. 

Simply not acceptable.

Amadou Onana showed in flashes what he’s capable of – turning and bursting through the Lisbon ‘lines’ and curling a second half shot against the post at the end of Everton’s best move of the game. When he does that you can see why he’s so highly rated. If he consistently gets involved in the game instead of daydreaming through huge spells he can be an absolute world-beater.

The visitors also hit the woodwork in the dying minutes, and indeed wasted some great chances throughout, but them tricky, tenacious Toffees held out and kept their unbeaten pre-season record intact. 

Which is the most important thing.