Romelu Lukaku bags two as Everton humble Southampton at St Mary's

Romelu Lukaku scored a first half double as Everton eased to an impressive 3-0 away win at Southampton.

The Belgian opened the scoring halfway through the first half with an emphatic header from Arouna Kone’s pinpoint cross, finishing off a swift counter-attack.

Lukaku drilled in a second on the stroke of halftime, moments after a key Tim Howard save, to leave Southampton facing an uphill task.

Graziano Pelle was guilty of several big misses and Everton’s Ross Barkley, impressive throughout, capped a fine personal performance with a well-taken third.

13’- CHANCE! Pelle misses a big chance for Southampton. A superb cross from the right finds Pelle, who had darted between the two centre-backs but only made minimal contact and glanced it wide. He should at least get that on target.

21’ - GOOD SAVE! Tim Howard makes an important save from Mane, who was played in after a terrible clearance by Seamus Coleman - but Howard makes a very good save with his legs.

22’- GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Everton: Lukaku gives Everton the lead! It's a swift break by the visitors who drive forward down the right through Kone, who delivers a perfect cross for Lukaku - and the Belgian powers home his header.

28’ - CHANCE! Everton should be 2-0 up. Lukaku bursts into a great position and tees up Barkley, but his shot from 12 yards is awful - straight at the keeper - and McCarthy misses the follow-up.

45’ - GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Everton: Lukaku again! Barkley drives forward and slips in Lukaku, who finds the bottom corner with a crisp first-time shot. Everton cruising!

80’ - GOOD SAVE! Another top save by Howard, who dives to his left to keep out Mane's goalbound effort from 20 yards.

84’ - GOAL! Southampton 0-3 Everton: Barkley makes it 3-0! The ball comes through to him, he cuts inside the final defender and buries his shot into the bottom corner. Barkley deserves that, and so do Everton.

Romelu Lukaku scored more than once in a Premier League game for the first time since November 2013 (v Liverpool).

Arouna Kone (3) has had a hand in more Premier League goals in his last two appearances for Everton as he did in his previous 17 (2).

Romelu Lukaku is now the top scoring Belgian in Premier League history, one ahead of Christian Benteke.

Second season syndrome for Koeman? The dual demands of Europa League and Premier League football are bound to take their toll and it will be nearly impossible for Saints to match last season’s seventh place. This was an emphatic defeat and one that will worry Saints fans.

Romelu Lukaku (Everton): Two superbly taken first-half goals and Lukaku was the clear difference between the sides. A willing runner throughout and clinical in front of goal. Difficult to stop when he’s in this kind of form.

Southampton: Stekelenburg 6, Cedric 6, Yoshida 6, Fonte 6, Targett 6, S. Davis 6, Wanyama 6, Tadic 5, Mane 7, Long 5, Pelle 6. Subs: Romeu 6, Rodriguez n/a, Ward-Prowse n/a.

Everton: Howard 8, Coleman 7, Stones 7, Jagielka 7, Golloway 7, Barry 7, Cleverley 7, McCarthy 7, Bakley 8, Kone 7, Lukaku 9. Subs: Browning n/a, Naismith n/a, Deulofeu n/a.