The roar that greeted Dominic Calvert-Lewin suggested the Everton fans believe they have found the answer to their striking problems.

The young forward was given a standing ovation when he went off with 24 minutes left in Wednesday's Carabao Cup win, his two goals offering an answer to the question of who will replace Romelu Lukaku.

The 20-year-old will have bigger challenges ahead, but even against limited opposition in Sunderland, the young England striker suggested Everton may have unearthed a worthy contender to their tradition of notable centre-forwards.

Everton's nerves settled following a dismal recent run when Calvert-Lewin scored... (
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Action Images via Reuters)
...and the youngster was walking on air when he netted again just after the break (
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Everton FC/Getty)

The visiting defence may have had more leaks that a Tory government, but that should take nothing away from the goal-scoring instincts the striker displayed – because they are very real and very rare qualities.

With Sunderland determined to contain and Everton clearly struggling with their confidence, Calvert-Lewin changed the whole atmosphere in one striker's instinctive moment, just before the interval, as he seized on a loose ball and rammed it through the legs of Lamine Kone into the net.

The pre-match talk had been all about sorry strikers – Everton's goal-shy ones, of course, and an apology from Wayne Rooney after his drink-drive conviction... and an eye-watering club fine of £300,000 (rather more than the £150 court sanction), which will be donated to their excellent Everton In The Community scheme.

There was also a rather shame-faced apology from a sport-based radio station, after their presenter Joey Barton had claimed he understood Blues chairman Bill Kenwright had blocked the signing of a striker before the window closed.

It wasn't true, Kenwright was desperate to land another forward, yet he could have been forgiven for showing faith in Calvert Lewin, because the kid has a special talent.

Rooney was among the rested Blues watching the action from the stands (
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PA Wire)

His second goal settled this tie, a quite stunning finish that spoke of that rare quality.

Set free inside the box by Sandro – who looked sharper here after a tough start to his Everton career – and from an acute angle on his weaker foot, the forward fizzed an unstoppable shot into a tiny gap in the angle of the goal.

And the 20-year-old young England star so very nearly made it a hat trick when he produced a stunning volley from Davy Klaassen's cross, that smashed agonisingly against the post.

Former Koeman outcast Oumar Niasse even got to celebrete his first Everton goal (
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Everton FC/Getty)

He was off soon after, his manager no doubt identifying the need to preserve his most obvious source of a goal for stiffer challenges ahead, but this was a clear message of intent from the youngster... though boss Ronald Koeman insisted he needs no reminding.

“Dominic is always in my mind. Okay, he is still a young player, 20, and sometimes you will need to protect him, but he scored a really important goal for us, he is working and improving and he will get better, and we know his quality.”

Koeman explained he had given Rooney a rest, not a punishment, and by the end he was trebly glad of that, with Oumar Niasse's journey to Hull and back completed with a fine chest-down and volleyed finish to have the Goodison faithful pinching themselves.