Everton exited the FA Cup fourth round in a late defeat to Luton Town.

The visitors broke the deadlock late into the first half lead when Vitalii Mykolenko had the final touch on Reece Burke’s header at a corner.

Jack Harrison pulled Sean Dyche’s side level after the interval with a low drive that squirmed beneath Tim Krul and into the Gwladys Street End’s net.

But the Blues were undone again deep in added time as Cauley Woodrow fired home a winner during a goalmouth scramble from another set piece.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Dyche fails to learn his lessons

Sean Dyche cannot say he was not forewarned about facing Luton Town.

Everton’s first home defeat to the Premier League newcomers in October followed a particular theme as they conceded both goals from set pieces.

Fast-forward four months to Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round encounter at Goodison Park and history embarrassingly repeated itself for the Blues’ boss.

By the 20th minute of this tie, the Hatters had already stamped their authority on affairs to the point that a change in approach was expected at the interval.

Yet Dyche persevered with the same 4-4-2 formation which had proved so languid against the same opposition and produced an identical outcome.

It goes deeper than a front pairing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto – more on them later – as Everton’s entire shape was lacking its usual properties.

A midfield devoid of Abdoulaye Doucoure was easily bypassed routinely while Jack Harrison’s fortuitous leveller was the only real impact from out wide.

Dyche alone has to carry the can for this cup exit after failing to learn lessons.

Can the DCL-Beto axis ever thrive?

Maligned though the 4-4-2 system is for Everton, it offers them a greater presence in the attacking third with the ability to unleash two strikers.

Calvert-Lewin and Beto are Dyche’s automatic choices in that field, for good reason, but glimpses of their potentially fearsome pairing have been fleeting.

The sight of the statuesque marksmen starting against Luton was seen as a chance to gauge whether previous outings were merely teething problems.

But the question is increasingly gravitating towards if, rather than when, their partnership will blossom after coming up short against Rob Edwards’ side.

Beto’s best chance saw him roll a shot wide from close-range early on while Calvert-Lewin endured a 15th game failing to hit the target in all competitions.

In the Portuguese’s defence, his diagonal ball set the wheels in motion for Harrison’s equaliser after the interval that offered hopes of a turnaround.

Like Calvert-Lewin, however, he is also in the midst of a goal drought after drawing a blank in seven consecutive appearances in the royal blue shirt.

Any cohesion between the pair is still some way off and, potentially, may never click into gear at all with players who often plough a lone furrow.

Clock ticking on unwanted milestone

For yet another year, Everton will finish this season empty-handed.

It’s become a familiar outcome for long-suffering Goodison match goers with only occasional semi-final and showpiece occasions to cling to for comfort.

The Grand Old Lady is now condemned to a 29th year without welcoming meaningful silverware; extending the longest drought in the club’s history.

Not since the 1995 FA Cup has the stadium’s once-glittering cabinet housed a trophy and this was a huge opportunity missed to potentially break that cycle.

Six of their Premier League counterparts have already exited the world’s most famous cup competition, and more could potentially follow suit this weekend.

Ten years without any honours being welcomed through the doors was bad enough; extending it to a quarter of a century was borderline unacceptable.

Another disappointment in 12 months’ time, during Goodison’s final season in existence, would see the feat extended to an unedifying three full decades.

The clock is officially ticking in the battle to avoid that unwanted milestone.