Everton easily secured a passage into the Europa League group stages after a 1-1 draw with Sigma Olomouc.
Everton secure 5-1 aggregate win despite Hibbert red card
Everton completed a comfortable Europa League victory over Sigma Olomouc despite being reduced to 10 men early in the second leg.
The Toffees made a nervy start and were a player down within 10 minutes when Tony Hibbert felled Jakub Petr as the Czech player bore down on goal.
Sigma continued the pressure, looking for an early goal, but their attacks were smothered by Everton and then Steven Pienaar put the tie beyond all doubt shortly before half-time.
Leon Osman cut in from the right-hand side and pulled the ball back to the South African, who gave goalkeeper Tomas Lovasik no chance with a powerful shot.
But the hosts salvaged some pride in the closing stages as a well worked free-kick between substitutes Rudolf Otekpa and Pavel Sultes nestled in the bottom corner of Tim Howard's net.
Start
Taking a comprehensive 4-0 advantage to the Czech Republic from the first leg, it seemed all that David Moyes' side had to do to ensure victory was guard against complacency.
But within minutes of the kick-off the visitors had made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves, as Leighton Baines lost possession just metres from his own area.
Petr, who had already had one shot saved by Howard, latched onto the ball and was brought down heavily from behind by Hibbert just outside the area.
Despite protests from the Everton players, the referee was in no doubt and immediately showed Hibbert the red card, reducing Everton to 10 men.
Sigma looked to quickly seize the initiative, and after Lukas Bajer had rattled the crossbar direct from the free-kick, Tomas Horava and Tomas Janotka fired in an effort each within the next two minutes.
The hosts continued to dominate for the rest of the half, with Janotka in particular looking lively, but they could not fashion their possession into any further chances.
Goal
In Everton's first meaningful attack of the match, Osman broke clear on the right and pulled the ball back to find Pienaar arriving unmarked in the box.
He took one touch with his left foot to control the ball before smashing it past Lovasik and into the top corner with his right.
The goal appeared to deflate Sigma, and Everton looked in cruise control after the break despite being a man down.
Osman and Pienaar were replaced by 17-year-olds James Wallace and Jose Baxter midway through the second half, while Yakubu came off the bench to make his long-awaited return to competitive action.
But it was Sigma's double change that sparked the home side into life, with Otekpa creating the equaliser for his fellow substitute.
Otekpa rolled a free-kick across to Sultes, who drilled home with 10 minutes to go, but it was merely a consolation for the Czechs as Everton advanced to the group stages.
Sigma continued to push in an attempt to claim victory on the night, but their possession did not pay off again and Everton emerged with a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
