Everton crashed out of the FA Cup’s third round at the hands of Sunderland.

Enzo Le Fee punished poor defending on the half-hour mark by firing the visitors ahead with a smart volley from the lefthand side of the penalty area.

But the Blues snatched a late equaliser to force the tie into extra time when Adam Aznou was bundled over in the box, allowing James Garner to convert.

An additional 30 minutes failed to separate the teams as a place in the fourth round boiled down to a penalty shootout in front of the South Stand.

However David Moyes’ side missed all three of their spot kicks through Garner, Thierno Barry and Beto to exit the competition at the first hurdle.

Here were the key talking points from Hill Dickinson Stadium:

Pitiful pens sum up the season

Evertonians found a perfect microcosm of their season in this FA Cup tie.

It was not in the languid start which saw their team trailing at the interval, nor the spirited fightback that earned a late penalty to send the tie into extra time.

The truest relection of the current campaign for David Moyes’ side lay with a penalty shootout in front of the South Stand which was over before it began.

A hat-trick of misses from James Garner, Thierno Barry and Beto ensured that Sunderland’s name is going into the hat for Monday’s fourth round draw.

All three kicks were poor, especially given Garner had earlier scored to deliver equilibrium with moments of normal time to spare at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The trio’s tame efforts at the spot, however, embodied the Blues’ continued shortcomings this term, which is practically over by January’s first full week.

European qualification places still remain mathematically within reach but momentum has undoubtedly slowed after three disappointments in six days.

Defeat to Brentford, a draw with lowly Wolves and now this exit at the hands of the Black Cats has left Everton’s season firmly hanging in the balance.

Blues’ historic move backfires

The FA Cup third round is synonymous with football’s finest traditions.

But Everton used their latest foray into the world’s most famous club cup competition to dispense with one of their own and commit an act of sacrilege.

Until now, games at Hill Dickinson Stadium – and Goodison Park before it – saw the natives automatically lining up in some iteration of a royal blue jersey.

Only a handful of times were exceptions made; entirely due to extenuating circumstances and across several competitions including the FA Cup itself.

Convention, however, went out the window for Sunderland’s visit as Moyes’ side debuted a navy and pink number as their newly released fourth kit.

Why the club gave the go-ahead for the strip to be worn in this particular game is something only they can answer but it was still a bizarre decision.

In a stadium which was already beginning to lose its homely feel in light of recent results and performances, the marketing move backfired spectacularly.

Aznou’s wait proves worthwhile

Adam Aznou is no stranger to life on the Everton substitutes’ bench.

Since a summer move from Bayern Munich, the Morocco international had yet to feature competitively despite making 18 match day squads in that time.

Dislodging Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back has been an impossible task while the challenge to unseat Jack Grealish on the flank is even more fanciful.

With the hosts struggling to disrupt Regis Le Bris’ well-drilled players as they clung onto their slender advantage, a 19th unused outing looked set to follow.

Yet Moyes decided that, after several false starts due to injury, Aznou had something to offer and threw him on in place of midfielder Merlin Rohl.

In a matter of moments, the teenager enjoyed an instant impact by winning the penalty that gifted Everton a previously unlikely lifeline back into this tie.

Given a lack of prior involvement, touches of rawness in extra time were understandable but Aznou’s impressive cameo was still worth the wait.