EVERTON conceded just 45 SECONDS into their FA Cup clash with Hull City – but fought back to win 3-2 after extra time.

Tigers forward Tyler Smith got the opener, heading the ball past a helpless Asmir Begovic.

But just as Everton looked on the ropes, suddenly Hull put their own heads in the noose, as they were sliced apart twice and the whole thing turned on its head.

When Demarai Gray collected Keane Lewis-Potter’s sliced clearance wide on the left 20 minutes in, there was no immediate danger.

Yet a rat-a-tat one-two with Anthony Gordon and clinical side-footed finish from Gray had Everton level, and all of a sudden they were a different team.

And they went ahead when Gordon fed the overlapping Jonjoe Kenny and Andre Gomes arrived on the penalty spot to bury a second.

It was his first goal in nearly three years and at last the Premier League outfit were managing to look just that. We should have known better.

For Everton, as they have proved so many times already this term, are only deadly accurate when it comes to one thing…shooting themselves in the foot.

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And with 20 minutes left they were breached for a second time, albeit courtesy of a finish that would have graced Wembley, never mind a freezing night on Humberside.

What a triumph, too, for Tigers chief Grant McCann, who had thrown on three subs moments earlier and saw all three combine to level it.

Tom Huddlestone won the ball and found George Moncur, who danced in front of the area and rolled to Ryan Longman.

And the striker on loan from Brighton curled a peach of a left footer into the corner that left Begovic without a prayer and Benitez again saying plenty of his own.

For once they were answered when Lewis-Potter’s low howitzer rattled the woodwork rather than sneaking into the bottom corner.

And so extra time it was, with Benitez having turned to his own bench. What a dividend it paid, for all Baxter will be kicking himself for not keeping it out.

Still time, though, for Begovic to produce an absolute worldie to deny Eaves another leveller that had everyone shaking their heads in amazement.

Benitez was merely nodding his own in relief. Those 'sacked in the morning' chants will have to wait for another few days at least.

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