Everton overcame an early deficit to take a one goal advantage into the second leg in a pulsating encounter at Goodison Park on Thursday night.

Kiev got off to a bright start and were the dominant side for the first quarter of an hour, taking advantage of a succession of mistakes from Everton Centre-Back Antolin Alcaraz, who was filling in for the injured John Stones. Their gallant attacking paid off when they forced a corner, and Oleg Gusev lost his markers to volley in an exquisite shot past Tim Howard, handing Kiev a crucial away goal going into the second leg.

However, this goal spurred Everton to go on the offensive. The young Belgian Romelu Lukaku set off on a series of marauding runs, culminating in his sublime through ball into the path of the clinical Steven Naismith. He wasted no time in dispatching the shot past Shovkovskiy and into the bottom corner of the net.

The goal gave the home side morale going into half time, and revitalized the crowd, who had been somewhat muted after the Ukrainians’ early opener. The hosts grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, and came close again from Lukaku and Seamus Coleman. Substitute Arouna Kone, who has only scored once since his arrival from Wigan two years ago, also saw a header pawed desperately away by Shovkovskiy.

This relentless offence left Everton vulnerable to the counter, and they were given a reality check when Dieumerci Mbokani glanced a header just wide of the goal.  The veteran Leon Osman was subbed on to infuse some stability into the  home side, and was promptly awarded a penalty when his cross careened of the outstretched arm of Danilo Silva.

The penalty was unconvincingly struck straight down the middle of the goal, but the keeper dived prematurely and it scuffed across the line to give Everton the lead. This was Lukakus’ seventh European goal, giving him the all time lead amongst Everton players, all the more impressive considering this is his first full season with the club.

Kiev went into full defensive after the goal, to limit further damage, and were lucky not to lose by more after wasteful finishing by Everton in the closing stages. The return leg is played in Ukraine next Thursday .