EVERTON WILL TAKE a two-goal lead to Croatia after victory tonight at Goodison Park against Hajduk Split in a Europa League play-off first leg tie where crowd trouble saw the match temporarily halted in the first half.
The game was stopped in the 33rd minute when the visiting supporters threw missiles and surged towards the pitch.
Both sets of players were brought to the far side of the pitch as police and stewards restored order.
The Hajduk Split players appealed to their supporters for calm and the game resumed after a break of five minutes.
At that stage Everton were in front after defender Michael Keane, signed this summer from Burnley, headed home his first goal for the club in the 30th minute.
A second goal arrived before the break courtesy of Idrissa Gueye when he finished from close range after being played through by Wayne Rooney.
Everton didn’t add to their tally in the second half and needed goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to produce a couple of key saves to deny Hajduk Split a vital away goal before next Thursday’s second leg in Croatia.
Club record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson was paraded in front of the Everton fans before the game at Goodison Park.
Elsewhere tonight in the Europa League play-off clashes, AC Milan scored six goals in a European match for the first time in 24 years when they thrashed Shkendija.
Vincenzo Montella’s side were convincing 6-0 victors over the Macedonian side with Andre Silva and Riccardo Montolivo each scoring twice, while Fabio Borini and Luca Antonelli also got on the scoresheet.
Rosenborg, conquerors of Dundalk in the Champions League at the qualifying stage this season, claimed a 1-0 win away to last season’s Europa League finalists Ajax.
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