When teenage Kalvin Phillips looked on from the bench as Leeds United signed off for new season with Premier scalp
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The Whites were beaten by the Toffees 2-1 at Elland Road in February’s Premier League tie, but before that the record books will show Leeds unbeaten in the last three games between the two.
Raphinha’s fine strike gave Marcelo Bielsa’s side a 1-0 triumph at Goodison Park in November last year, whilst back in September 2012 the Championship-based Whites bagged a 2-1 home success in the Capital One Cup via strikes from Aidy White and Rodolph Austin.
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Hide AdWay back in 2004, one of United’s final games before relegation from the Premier League came against the Toffees and ended in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.
Yet there is another recent success against Everton that is missed by the competitive record books via a victory in a pre-season friendly of August 2015.
Leeds were the lower-ranked side as a Championship outfit yet produced a goal befitting of a much loftier standard via Alex Mowatt en route to a 2-1 success.
The Whites were approaching their fifth consecutive season in English football’s second tier, having finally climbed out of League One at the third attempt in 2010.
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Hide AdThe 2014-15 season had ended with a 15th-placed finish for the second season in a row as Mirco Antenucci topped the Whites goalscoring charts despite netting only ten times.
Leeds had finished the season under the care of boss Neil Redfearn but chairman Massimo Cellino then brought in Uwe Rosler as the club’s new head coach on July 1, 2015.
Rosler arrived with a reputation for his so-called heavy-metal football and the Whites struck the right chord against Everton in their final friendly before the new campaign.
Rosler was still seeking his first win in charge and Leeds faced a Toffees side that had finished the previous Premier League season in 11th place under Roberto Martinez.
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Hide AdRomelu Lukaku had finished as the side’s top scorer for the second season running as part of a campaign that saw the Toffees reach the Europa League last 16 on the back of the previous season’s fifth-placed finish.
Yet Leeds recorded a mild upset as Mowatt and new signing Chris Wood bagged a goal apiece.
Wood, signed for £3m from Leicester City, again lined up as part of a front three that featured Souleymane Doukara and Sam Byram either side of him.
Leeds had the likes of Lewis Cook in midfield, Charlie Taylor at left back, Gaetano Berardi at right back and Mirco Silvestri on the bench.
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Hide AdA 19-year-old Kalvin Phillips was among the substitutes, along with present day captain Liam Cooper.
The Toffees were some way below full strength as the Merseysiders had another friendly the following day at home to Villareal in a game which doubled up as Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial.
But Ross Barkley and Steven Naismith both started along with a future Leeds loanee in Matthew Pennington. In United’s first game back at Elland Road since the previous season, the first half ended goalless.
But Rosler’s side went ahead 11 minutes after the break when Mowatt finished off a fine flowing move that ended with a one-two with Byram and neat finish from a tight angle.
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Hide AdAt the other end, Whites ’keeper Marco Silvestri was not for being beaten and produced a fine save to a Conor McAleny header.
And Leeds went on to bag the second goal of the game 10 minutes from time when Wood doubled United’s lead as his lob deflected over the Everton ’keeper.
Wood and Mowatt were then taken off just one minute later, along with Tom Adeyemi, as Antenucci, Scott Wootton and Steve Morison were all brought on.
Seconds later, the trio looked on as a streaker made their way on to the Elland Road pitch.
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Hide AdLeeds, though, were streaking to victory against their Premier League visitors and hopes were high for the new campaign.
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