Newcastle, Everton, Fulham cruise into third round

Premier League sides Newcastle, Everton and Fulham strolled into the League Cup third round with convincing wins over lower league opponents on Wednesday.

Newcastle, fresh from their 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa on Sunday, eased to a 3-2 win over League Two Accrington Stanley, while Everton defeated League One Huddersfield 5-1 to claim their first victory of the season.

At Craven Cottage, Mark Hughes’s Fulham romped to a 6-0 win against League Two Port Vale.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton rested the entire team that beat Villa and named a young side captained by Shola Ameobi.

Ryan Taylor hammered Hughton’s side into the lead in the 36th minute with an unstoppable 30-yard drive.

Newcastle’s stand-ins lost some of their momentum after taking the lead and Ray Putterill levelled for the hosts with a superb strike from just outside the penalty area on the stroke of half-time.

Perked up by Hughton’s half-time team-talk, Newcastle regained the advantage three minutes after the break as Ameobi drove home following a long throw which unhinged the Accrington defence.

Peter Lovenkrands’ close-range finish in the 57th minute put Newcastle firmly in control and Sean Hessey’s 90th strike for Accrington came too late to force extra time.

Everton have had their share of embarrassing cup exits in recent years but they were never in danger of a shock exit against 10-man Huddersfield at Goodison Park.

Toffees boss David Moyes made six changes to the team that drew with Wolves on Saturday and gave debuts to goalkeeper Jan Mucha and striker Magaye Gueye.

It was Gueye who laid on the opening goal with a fine cross to Marouane Fellaini, who headed home from close range in the seventh minute.

Jack Rodwell increased Everton’s lead with a superb long-range effort in the 14th minute.

Huddersfield were given a lifeline in the 40th minute when Gary Roberts’ shot hit the crossbar and bounced in off Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga.

However, Jermaine Beckford, signed from Leeds on a free transfer in the close-season, notched his first competitive goal for Everton in the 50th minute.

Rodwell won a penalty when he brought down by Damien Johnson and Beckford stepped up to slot home the spot-kick.

Heitinga had a penalty saved by Ian Bennett in the closing stages after Huddersfield’s Lee Peltier was sent off.

But Louis Saha added Everton’s fourth goal in the 77th minute when he finished off a flowing move and Leon Osman buried the fifth in the closing moments.

Belgian striker Moussa Dembele marked his first Fulham start with a goal as the Cottagers thrashed Port Vale to give Hughes his first win.

Dembele completed a five million pounds switch from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar last week and seized his chance when he was named in a strong Fulham line-up at Craven Cottage.

Zoltan Gera put Hughes’ men in front with a 10th minute header from Matthew Briggs’s cross.

Port Vale, managed by former Fulham favourite Micky Adams, were down and out when Dembele cut into the penalty area and curled his shot into the far corner in the 26th minute.

Dembele’s strike partner Bobby Zamora increased Fulham’s advantage in the 36th minute as the England international exchanged passes with Damien Duff before shooting into the roof of the net.

The misery wasn’t over for Port Vale as Hungary midfielder Gera netted with a powerful strike in the 45th minute to complete Fulham’s first half goal-spree.

Zamora got on the scoresheet with a 66th minute free-kick and American forward Clint Dempsey ended the rout from long range in the 70th minute.

Premier League outfit Birmingham host League One Rochdale in the last tie of the round at St Andrews on Thursday.