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• Everton exit EFL Cup as Saints atone for penalty woe, Preston win epic

  Everton's miserable start to the new season continued as they were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Southampton, who experienced spot-kick joy after their penalty pain against Manchester United.

  Sean Dyche's Toffees have lost their past two Premier League matches despite leading 2-0 in each, and they let slip another lead on Tuesday.

  Abdoulaye Doucoure's opener was cancelled out by Saints' Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with a 1-1 draw taking the third-round tie to penalties at Goodison Park.

  Southampton, like Everton, are pointless in the league after Cameron Archer's spot-kick miss in their latest defeat at home to United on Saturday proved costly.

  But this time Saints succeeded from 12 yards, advancing after a 6-5 shoot-out win, with Ashley Young the only man to fail from the spot when Alex McCarthy saved the final kick.

  That was one of three shoot-outs among Tuesday's cup matches, with Preston North End remarkably winning a marathon contest against Fulham.

  Following another 1-1 draw, Preston were 16-15 victors on penalties as Timothy Castagne blazed the decisive effort over the crossbar after 17 attempts apiece.

  Stoke City and Fleetwood Town also drew 1-1, before the Potters triumphed.

  Elsewhere, Eberechi Eze netted the winner against former club Queens Park Rangers, with Eddie Nketiah also on target for the first time for Crystal Palace in a 2-1 victory.

  Brentford came from behind to beat Leyton Orient 3-1, while Sheffield United defeated former boss Steve Bruce and Blackpool 1-0.

• Littler eyeing World Championship redemption after latest triumph

  Luke Littler is eyeing redemption at the World Championship finals later this year after securing his maiden World Series of Darts Finals title in Amsterdam on Sunday.

  Littler, who won the Premier League in May, comfortably dispatched Michael Smith 11-4 in the final on Sunday with a 102.21 average after losing the first two legs. 

  The 17-year-old began the day with a quarter-final triumph over Chris Dobey before turning on the style against home favourite Michael van Gerwen in the semis. 

  Littler took home the £80,000 prize money but remains behind Dirk van Duijvenbode in the world rankings due to the tournament being an invitational one. 

  The teenager rose to fame earlier this year with his impressive run at the World Championships, reaching the final but losing to world number one Luke Humphries. 

  And Littler, who avenged Humphries in the Premier League final, wants to go one better at Alexandra Palace later this year. 

  "I'm playing well so I will go back home and practice even more. There is no time to sit about, it's a busy winter coming up," Littler said. 

  "Everyone wants to win everything but I've learned you can't do that. I would like to win another major [title].

  "I want the Worlds as anyone else does but another major would mean the world."

• Neil Critchley saluted Blackpool as their play-off bid stays alive

  Neil Critchley hailed a brave Blackpool performance as the Seasiders beat promotion rivals Barnsley 3-2 to boost their League One play-off chances.

  Goals from Sonny Carey, James Husband and Hayden Coulson put the hosts 3-0 up but John McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley, before Adam Phillips’ late strike set up a nervy finish.

  Blackpool need to win their final game of the season away to Reading, and hope that both Lincoln and Oxford drop points in order to secure a place in the top six.

  Blackpool are bang in form and have now won their last four games, with Critchley proud of their battling display.

  “We don’t do things easy, but I thought we were outstanding up until they scored their first goal. Even when they scored their first goal, we had chances to make it 4-1,” he said.

  “We looked a really good team. Our mentality was excellent, we played with confidence and took the game to the opposition. I’m not sure how it ended 3-2, but we won and we take it down to a very exciting and interesting last day.

  “It was on par with our best of the season the first hour. We played with a calmness in possession and with an intensity without the ball. We were dangerous.

  “I didn’t enjoy the end to the game, but I’m grateful we got the three points.

  “We had to win this game, so we took the handbrake off and went for it. The only blot on the copybook today was the goals we conceded.”

  Carey gave Blackpool the lead on 12 minutes with a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the corner, while Husband headed in Karamoko Dembele’s pinpoint free-kick before Coulson smashed one into the roof of the net just after the restart.

  McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley to give them a glimmer of hope midway through the second half, steering into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

  Phillips then set up a nervy finish in added time when he fired into the corner, but Critchley’s side held on.

  Barnsley know a win on the final day will secure them a play-off place but manager Neil Collins knows they can not relax.

  “I think we just got overwhelmed at the start of the game and we created our own problems right from the start – poor clearances, poor in tackles, poor defending,” he said.

  “We came out second half, and again we made poor decisions and went 3-0 down. It would have been very easy for the players to feel sorry for themselves, and were it not for some of the officiating we should be standing here with a point.

  “Performance wise, it wasn’t up to standard. But the spirit the players showed was really good, and again we were on the wrong side of a couple of decisions.”