Everton have continued their pre-season preparations with a victory on penalties over fellow Premier League side Stoke City to reach the Barclays Asia Trophy final in Singapore.
Both sides had chances to break the deadlock during normal time, with Romelu Lukaku having a goal disallowed at the end of the first half.
A penalty shootout was required to separate the two sides, and it was Phil Jagielka who scored the winner to seal a 5-4 triumph over the Potters.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Hello everyone! Can you believe that we're just over three weeks away from the start of the new Premier League season? As I'm sure you're aware, now is the time when teams reunite to get their fitness up to scratch in time for competitive action. This morning, we'll take you through the Barclays Asia Trophy match between Stoke City and Everton at the National Stadium in Singapore.
Everton's pre-season schedule is in full flow as they played their first friendly against Swindon Town at the weekend. Manager Roberto Martinez oversaw his side secure a comprehensive 4-0 triumph and there were also debuts for new signings Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu. For Stoke, today's game in the Far East will be their first of pre-season.
Now, let's take a look at the teams that will be gracing the pitch. Keep in mind, there are expected to be plenty of changes throughout the match. Let's begin with the Potters...
STOKE CITY XI: Haugaard; Bardsley, Cameron, Muniesa, Teixeira; Sidwell, Shenton; Odemwingie, Ireland, Arnautovic; Joselu
STOKE CITY SUBS: Given, Whelan, Johnson, Wilson, van Ginkel, Adam, Diouf, Walters, Crouch, Moha
Summer signings Joselu and goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard have been handed their first starts for Stoke in today's match, while fellow new arrivals Glen Johnson and Shay Given are named among the substitutes. Barcelona teenager Moha El Ouriachi signed for the Potters this morning and has also been included in the squad. The 19-year-old winger, who rejected a new deal at the Camp Nou, has to wait for his first start as he too is named on the bench.
Regular faces Phil Bardsley, Marc Muniesa, Peter Odemwingie, Stephen Ireland and Marko Arnautovic will start, while Charlie Adam, Mame Biram Diouf and Glenn Whelan could make appearances in the second half as they start the game as substitutes. Now, what side will Stoke be facing...?
EVERTON XI: Howard; Hibbert, Galloway, Jagielka, Browning; Barry, McCarthy; Pienaar, Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku
EVERTON SUBS: Robles, Stones, Kone, Naismith, Cleverley, Deulofeu, Osman, Coleman, Garbutt, Kenny, Williams, Robinson
It's a relatively strong side from Everton, with Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas all starting, but Martinez has handed starts to youngsters Brendan Galloway and Tyias Browning. Fans will have to wait to see more of summer signings Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu as the pair are both named on the bench.
Defender John Stones has been included among the substitutes, as has Kevin Naismith, Leon Osman, Seamus Coleman and Luke Garbutt, who is expected to be loaned out to a Championship club in the next few weeks.
There are some notable absentees from the clash on both sides - Everton are without Leighton Baines as the left-back continues to recover from ankle surgery back on Merseyside. Muhamed Besic will also not play a part after he suffered a hamstring injury during last weekend's game against Swindon. For the Potters, Ryan Shawcross and Philipp Wollscheid have been left out as precautions, but both could return for this weekend's action.
As we all know, pre-season matches are primarily about fitness rather than winning, but given that this particular encounter is between Premier League opposition, there could be more of an edge to it. Stoke's preparations are gearing up for an opening-day clash against Liverpool. In case you need a reminder, the Potters thrashed Liverpool 6-1 at the Britannia Stadium on the final day of last season. It will be a tough ask to repeat that kind of result, but time will tell...
Everton had a rather disappointing campaign by finishing 12th in the top flight, but they face an unknown side in Watford when they take on the recently-promoted Premier League side on August 8. Enough of future games, though, let's focus on the one at hand. Martinez has promised to make plenty of changes in the match in order to give his squad a decent run-out.
I'm sure it will be similar for Hughes, but there is one particular face who will be trying to catch the eye, and that's new arrival Joselu. The forward, who scored 10 goals for Hannover last season, will make his Stoke debut this morning. Fingers crossed for Stoke fans that he shows some early promise.
With just five minutes away from kickoff, both sets of players are lining up in the tunnel ready to emerge onto the pitch. It's rather humid in Singapore, but the stadium's roof is on.
KICKOFF! Here we go then! Everton get us underway, wearing their traditional blue strip...
In these early stages, Everton look keen to unleash an attacking threat. They're knocking the ball around and Barkley has gone for some surging runs. Mirallas cuts inside from the right and takes his man on before finding a pocket of space on the edge of the area and aiming a left-footed shot at goal, but Stoke's keeper gets to ground and gathers with ease.
Stoke are on the ball now as they try to get a rhythm going, but Barkley puts pressure on by forcing Muniesa to knock the ball back to their own half.
A decent break from Everton finds Lukaku on the left side of the final third. The Belgian knocks the ball along to Galloway, who loops in a cross, but Stoke's defence do enough to cut out the pass and regain possession.
Both sides have given the ball away cheaply in the last few minutes, but I suppose we can forgive them for being a tad rusty! Everton look the more likely to score and Barkley looks lively. The England international weaves his way into the box and wins his side a corner. Mirallas delivers the ball in, but it's cleared.
Stoke have seen little of the ball in these early stages and Everton are fully in control. Unfortunately for Potters fans, Joselu has barely touched the ball! Hopefully the forward can get more involved as the half goes on.
Galloway finds space on the left and manages to get around Ireland and run towards the byline looking to send a low cross in, but he slips at the vital moment and the ball bobbles towards the goalkeeper.
CHANCE! Against the run of play, Stoke get the first real chance of the game. Shenton does well to find space on the left. He delivers in a low swinging cross, which finds Odemwingie, but the forward is running at too much pace and strikes wide of the post.
Stoke have found a bit more rhythm following that early chance as Muniesa glides the ball into the path of Teixeira, but his effort at a cross is poor and it flies over the crossbar.
It may be a pre-season game, but Bardsley isn't taking it easy. He sends in a challenge on Pienaar, but it's a fair one. Seconds later, the Stoke man surges towards the final third and he's picked out by Arnautovic, but Galloway reads the run and cuts in front to prevent Bardsley from getting a shot at goal.
Shenton gives away a foul close to the box and Mirallas lines up to take it for the Toffees. The Belgian swings the ball into the area and finds Jagielka, who sends a header towards goal, but he misses the target.
Arnautovic looks to be enjoying himself out there! A silky touch from the Stoke man delights the crowd before he slides the ball into the path of Odemwingie, but Howard is able to see off the danger.
Lukaku, as always, is the target man for Everton and they've tried many times to play him in and search for the channels, but it's not worked out so far. The Belgian's involved again as he chases a long ball, but clashes with keeper Haugaard and gives away a foul.
Ireland and Joselu link up in the final third, but Everton do well to track back and fill the box with bodies to prevent the pair from breaking through. We're midway through the first half, so it's time for the players to take a quick drink break. As mentioned earlier, it's a very humid day in Singapore. Both managers are also taking this opportunity to give orders.
CHANCE! Stoke should be one goal to the good, but a well-timed tackle from Jagielka prevents the ball from hitting the net. Ireland spots Arnautovic on his own and thumps a long ball forward, and after getting the better of Hibbert, the winger is in a great position to fire past Howard, but Jagielka gets a foot on the ball and clears it.
BOOKING! As mentioned earlier, Bardsley doesn't seem to be treating this game as a friendly. The Stoke man is issued with a yellow card from referee Craig Pawson for hacking down Pienaar.
It's not quite working for Lukaku at the moment. The forward has had the ball played into him numerous times during this first half, but he's struggling for options. Once again, he receives the ball in the box, but he's pretty much on his own up there, which allows the Stoke defenders to smother him and collect the ball.
The one scene no fan likes to see in pre-season is a player going down with injury. Well, it appears that Pienaar has sustained a problem as he goes to ground clutching his knee. The Everton man gets some treatment and he indicates that he wants to shake it off, but we'll probably see him depart shortly.
Perhaps he's not that injured... Pienaar fires the ball in to Mirallas's path in the final third. The forward searches for his Belgian teammate Lukaku, but Stoke do well to close Mirallas down and prevent the cross.
Some more silky skills from Arnautovic as he gets away from his marker and sends the ball forward to Ireland, who goes for glory with a long-range shot, but it soars over the crossbar. Despite Everton dominating much of the play, Stoke have come the closest to breaking the deadlock with their direct approach.
The entire Stoke team drop back into their own half as Everton knock the ball around searching for the breakthrough. Mirallas has seen plenty of the ball down the right, but he struggles once again to get a cross in as the Potters stay solid in defence.
Hibbert latches on to a loose ball in a dangerous area and whips in a decent cross, but Stoke are able to head clear. As we reach the closing minutes of the first half, neither side are intent on committing bodies forward, especially in this thick humidity.
GOAL DISALLOWED! On the stroke of half-time, Everton get the ball in the back of the net. It's the first time that the Toffees have opened up the Stoke defence, and Pienaar's the man who spots the run of Lukaku and threads it through, but the Belgian is just a yard offside when he picks the ball up and the linesman raises his flag.
HALF-TIME: Stoke City 0-0 Everton
Everton should be heading into the half-time interval with a one-goal lead, but Lukaku's timing let him down as he was in an offside position when he scored in the final minute of the opening half. Prior to that, neither side had been that decisive in the final third.
Everton showed intent early on with an attacking approach, but they rarely troubled Stoke's new keeper Haugaard, who didn't have one meaningful save to make. Lukaku was the focal point for Everton, and while they managed to find the Belgian, he struggled for options and failed to take chances on himself.
Despite Everton domination at times, Stoke came the closest to breaking the deadlock with two chances involving Odemwingie and Arnautovic, who has looked very comfortable on the ball. The Austrian has shown some imagination and did well to keep the ball when being closed down by the men in blue. The best chance of the match came to Lukaku in the dying moments, but it remains goalless so it's all to play for!
If we don't get a winner by the end of 90 minutes, then we're heading into a penalty shootout for a spot in the final. It may not be as tense as a shootout that is more meaningful, but they're never fun for players!
Right the players are back out and there's plenty of changes as Naismith, Osman and Cleverley come on for the second half for Everton, while Adam has entered the fray for Stoke.
RESTART! Stoke get us back underway at the National Stadium...
SAVE! Haugaard impresses with a great save for Stoke to deny Naismith seconds into the second half! The Everton forward dips inside the box and gets past a number of red and white striped shirts. Osman lays off the ball to the Scotsman, who fires towards goal, but the keeper palms it over the bar.
In these games, it's not particularly easy to keep up with all the substitutions, so we'll let you know as we go along! Stones is one of the half-time changes for Everton.
A rusty start for Deulofeu, who accidentally hits the ball with the back of his heel and then gives it away to Adam when attempting a pass to the middle. The weather's not perfect for playing in, but both sides look lively in the early stages of this second half.
It's a poor kick from Haugaard as he sends it straight to an Everton player. The ball eventually ends up in the path of Osman, who charges into the box and unleashes a shot, but it bounces off a Stoke body. Osman had Naismith to his right, which was a better option for the Merseysider.
Just a reminder, the winner of this match will take on either Arsenal or the Singapore Select XI for the Barclays Asia Trophy. The loser will compete in a third-place playoff. It's not exactly much-coveted silverware, but it's silverware nonetheless! Plus, any victory will boost a team's morale.
Everton are awarded a free kick just beyond the centre circle. McCarthy lines up to take it and thumps it towards goal with a long-range effort, but the ball fails to get much height on it and it bounces into the keeper's hands.
Some poor play from Stoke leaves the ball for Deulofeu to pick up. The Spaniard charges forward with Lukaku to the left of him, but as he continues his run into the box, Cameron catches up with him and puts in a well-timed challenge to prevent Deulofeu from getting a shot at goal.
CHANCE! Both Stoke and Everton come close to scoring within seconds of one another! A cross comes in towards Ireland, who gets a decent touch on the ball just inches from goal, but Howard is able to block the attempt on the floor. Shortly afterwards, Naismith plays in Deulofeu, whose unmarked and tries to slide the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net, but Haugaard gets a hand on it.
STOKE SUBS: Hughes is now raining the changes as Crouch, Van Ginkel and Wilson come on to replace Muniesa, Joselu and Odemwingie.
An impressive attack from Stoke begins with Cameron, who charges past two players to get himself in space and send a low pass towards Adam. The midfielder spots Shenton coming up on his left and immediately flicks the ball towards him, but it's a poor touch from the youngster and the ball gets away from him.
Wilson breathes a sigh of relief when the linesman raises the offside flag against Lukaku. The Belgian latches onto a clearance from Jagielka and after bringing the ball down, he looks to be clear on goal, but his run is thwarted when the flag goes up.
It's another water break for the teams. It may just be a pre-season friendly, but Martinez is passionately delivering his orders to the Everton players. Are we on course for a penalty shootout? We've got about 20 minutes until we find out.
The break is on for Stoke as Van Ginkel receives the ball from Adam and finds space on the edge of the area. The Chelsea loanee goes for goal, but it's deflected off Galloway and Howard easily gathers the ball when it loops towards him.
STOKE SUB: Jonathan Walters is the next player to come on for the Potters, while 17-year-old Shenton withdraws.
Everton go on the break and it's Deulofeu who's involved again as Osman feeds the ball into the Spaniard's path. He breaks into the box, but Cameron once again reads the play well cuts in front to prevent his opponent from shooting.
There's a concern for McCarthy (who isn't a stranger to injuries) as he's down nursing his ankle after challenging with Teixeira in the air for the ball. The midfielder lands awkwardly, but he's able to get to his feet after undergoing treatment.
Galloway wins a free kick for Everton in his own half after getting jostled by Ireland. We're just over 10 minutes away from full-time and a penalty shootout is looming. In all honesty, at this moment in a time, a goal doesn't look like it's coming from either side.
The ball is lofted into the box from a free kick searching for Crouch, who is able to connect with the ball. He headers the ball across the six-yard line, but he fails to find a teammate. Seconds later, the striker receives a cross-field pass from Adam. He uses great control to bring the ball down, but his pass across the box lets him down as he gives it away.
EVERTON SUB: That's the end of McCarthy's spell on the pitch as he makes way for Kone, who will need to impress if he wants a chance of claiming a regular spot up front this season.
CHANCE! Naismith cannot believe that he hasn't clinched a goal there. The Scotsman dances his way into the box and hooks the ball with his left foot, but his shot is saved by Haugaard. It's not cleared though, and the Scotsman gets another chance, but it's messy as Stoke players descend on him and get the ball away.
Everton go on the counter attack, but they fail to make it count as Browning's heavy touch lets him down and the ball gets away from him and into the feet of the opposition.
Everton are looking for a way through as they knock the ball back and forth. Osman gets possession on the edge of the penalty are and tries to send it in for the return, but his pass bounces off a Stoke player and the play attack breaks down.
MISS! Well, that's got to be the last chance of the game. Some careless passing from Van Ginkel allows Lukaku to latch onto the ball. The Belgian charges towards goal, but his shot trickles just wide of the post.
CHANCE! Lukaku is in again after latching onto the ball after it was sent over the top. Haugaard comes off his line and stands his ground, which sends the striker flying to the ground, but no penalty.
FULL-TIME: Stoke City 0-0 Everton
So, we go to penalties! Chances were created from both sides, but neither could thread the needle and get the goal they needed. We now have a shootout to decide who will compete in the Barclays Asia Trophy final.
What an opportunity for Haugaard to make an impression on his manager! The shot-stopper has been busy throughout the game, but this is where he will be tested.
So, Stoke are up first and it's Charlie Adam who will get the shootout underway...
ADAM SCORES! Howard goes the right way, but it's a clinical finish from Adam.
LUKAKU SCORES! Easy from the Belgian as he slots home in the bottom right corner. Van Ginkel next...
HOWARD SAVES! It's advantage Everton as Van Ginkel's effort is palmed away by Howard.
CLEVERLEY SCORES!
WALTERS SCORES!
STONES SCORES!
BARDSLEY SCORES!
DEULOFEU SCORES!
CROUCH SCORES!
JAGIELKA SCORES!
EVERTON THROUGH TO ASIA TROPHY FINAL!
So, there we have it! The captain Phil Jagielka sends Everton through to Saturday's final against either Arsenal or the Singapore Select XI. It was a good workout for both Premier League sides, who will continue their pre-season schedule in preparation for the start of the season on August 8. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, good bye!
