Middlesbrough 0 Everton 2: Boro come unstuck at home against Toffees

Spaniard Karanka worked with compatriot Deulofeu as a 14-year-old during his time as a national youth coach, and tipped him for the top all those years ago.

He found himself on the receiving end of the player’s talents at the Riverside last night as the midfielder opened the scoring with a stunning solo effort and then provided the ammunition for Romelu Lukaku to head the visitors into a 2-0 lead with just 28 minutes gone.

That is the way it finished in front of a largely shell-shocked crowd of 31,628.

Roberto Martinez’s men can now put up their feet briefly ahead of Monday night’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, while Boro must dust themselves down for a tricky trip to Ipswich on Friday evening.

The hosts went into the game having won six of their previous seven games in all competitions, but knowing they would have to play to their maximum if they were to extend that against Premier League opposition – and good Premier League opposition at that.

Everton were unbeaten in five and in no mood to surrender that record, or even to be extended the way neighbours Liverpool were by the Teessiders last season with the Reds finally edging home 14-13 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Anfield.

From the off, they kept the ball moving, working to drag Boro out of position and create the gaps from which the likes of Lukaku and Deulofeu could wreak havoc.

The Championship promotion hopefuls might have taken the lead with goalkeeper Joel Robles turning away Stewart Downing’s 17th-minute free-kick before being bundled into the net along with the ball to the sound of the referee’s whistle from the resulting corner.

But the tie was effectively settled inside eight minutes as top-flight class was made to tell.

Boro simply could not get anywhere near Deulofeu as he set off from the centre circle and skipped past every approaching red shirt with the minimum of fuss before steering a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Tomas Mejias and into the bottom corner.

The Spaniard turned provider eight minutes later, accepting Ross Barkley’s raking pass and bamboozling emergency left-back Fernando Amorebieta before delivering the perfect cross for Lukaku to glance a header wide of Mejias and in off a post.

Cristhian Stuani forced Robles into a diving save with 10 minutes of the half remaining and Kike saw a delicately chipped effort drop just wide with the goalkeeper beaten, but Everton left the pitch at the break knowing they had one foot in the last four.

Robles had to tip away Downing’s stinging 59th-minute drive after Stuani’s enterprising run, and Boro saw appeals for a 64th-minute penalty for handball waved away after Emilio Nsue’s ball into the box hit Brendan Galloway.

Stuani headed just over from Nsue’s inviting cross when he really should have scored with 20 minutes remaining, but there was simply no way back for Karanka’s side.

Lukaku said: “We just have to work hard and keep doing what we have been doing. This was a good result and we were 2-0 up, but we kept the clean sheet.

“We could have scored more, should have scored more, but it is positive for us.

“(The first goal was) very important, but Gerard did a good job, scored a nice goal.

“He is playing very well, he is helping us a lot and I hope he keeps the level that he has (been at). We are hungry, young players and want to improve game after game. I think it shows.

“But we need to stay grounded and improve. I know that people expect more from us and that’s what we want – we want to be better as well and we need to show it game after game.”

Lukaku was speaking alongside Deulofeu, who was named man of the match for his display at the Riverside Stadium.

“I am enjoying my football a lot,” the Spaniard said. “Playing with Romelu, Ross and these players is more easy. We’re into the next round and we need to keep going. “The last game against Bournemouth was disappointing because it was a game we should have won (not drawn 3-3), but it is a good moment and we need to keep going for more.”

Middlesbrough: Mejias, Nsue, Ayala, Gibson (Friend, 83), Amorebieta, Leadbitter, Clayton (Adomah, 74), Stuani, Downing, de Pena (Forshaw, 46), Kike. Unused substitutes: Stephens, Agazzi, Nugent, Zuculini.

Everton: Robles, Coleman, Stones, Mori, Galloway (Baines 73), Cleverley, Barry, Deulofeu (Mirallas, 81), Osman, Barkley, Lukaku (Naismith, 85). Unused substitutes: Gibson, Koné, Lennon, Howard.

Referee: Roger East.