First-half goals from Gerard Deulofeu and Arouna Kone have handed Everton a 2-1 lead over Sunderland at half time in their Premier League clash at Goodison Park.

The visitors almost found the back of the net inside the opening five minutes when Steven Fletcher played the ball in for Patrick van Aanholt, but the defender saw his shot come back off the foot of the post.

Sunderland continued to look lively in the opening 10 minutes, but the home side started to see more of the ball, resulting in their first chance when James McCarthy and Romelu Lukaku linked up, but Costel Pantilimon beat the latter to the ball.

The woodwork came to Everton's rescue again down the other end moments later as Jermain Defoe forced a save from Tim Howard, but the American keeper parried it into the path of Adam Johnson, but the post was in the way for a second time.

The Toffees tried to ease the pressure on their defenders with another run at the Sunderland box, this time finding the back of the net as Deulofeu beat the offside trap before sliding the ball past the keeper into the far corner.

Sunderland pressed for a quick equaliser, but it was Everton who added the second goal of the afternoon just after the half-hour mark when a one-two involving Lukaku and Kone set up the latter for a drive into the top of the net from outside the box.

The home side looked for a third as the half-time whistle approached, but Pantilimon was on hand to deny Lukaku, while Ross Barkley had his 20-yard effort blocked.

The visitors gave themselves some hope in the final seconds of the half though as Defoe found himself one-on-one with Howard, volleying the ball past the keeper to cut Everton's lead in half.