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Scunthorpe United 1-5 Everton: Saha, Fellaini, Baines great-strike
Everton enjoyed a smooth passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup after winning 5-1 at Championship side Scunthorpe.
Strikers Louis Saha and Jermaine Beckford struck first-half goals as David Moyes's men deservedly went in 2-0 up at half-time at Glanford Park.
However there was a scare for the Toffees when Michael Collins finished with aplomb only 15 seconds into the second period.
Seamus Coleman allayed fears of an upset with the third goal on 58 minutes while Marouane Fellaini added a fourth and Baines completed the scoring with a strike into the top corner.
Everton, missing top scorer Tim Cahill due to Australia's Asian Cup campaign, kept faith with the strike pairing that helped see off Tottenham in midweek.
It did not take long to bear fruit as Saha came inside on to his left foot and drove low inside the near post on four minutes.
Soon after Beckford was put through on the left by a long ball but, as he entered the area and pulled the trigger, home centre-half Rob Jones recovered enough ground to block.
Scunthorpe looked hungry and tried to pass the football, but lacked the quality of their Premier League opponents; even the Toffees found crisp passing moves difficult on a bumpy pitch. When the Iron's Jonathan Forte chased hard to win the ball near the byline and cross, he could not find one of his attacking colleagues.
Beckford had a great chance to double his side's lead on 23 minutes, a Fellaini through-ball putting him one-on-one with Joe Murphy. He looked to finish inside the near post, but the keeper stood tall to divert the ball wide.
The Iron defended Everton balls into the box stoutly, but were undone a second time on 33 minutes when Leon Osman was allowed too much time and space on the left to pick out the run of Beckford. The former Scunthorpe loanee - he helped them to the League One title while on loan from Leeds four years ago - glanced his header beyond Murphy and inside the far post.
Before the break a poor Murphy clearance under pressure gave Belgian Fellaini the chance to shoot first-time from near halfway, but - with the keeper outside his area - Jones blocked the effort.
Despite their heart, United needed a big team talk - and whatever Ian Baraclough said, it had the required effect. Barely had the game restarted when Josh Wright sent Collins racing clear, and he volleyed joyously into the far corner.
With the floodlights on and a goal in the bag, the stage was set for Scunthorpe. They harried their Premier League opponents all the more, with Michael O'Connor seemingly everywhere.
However Everton remained composed in defence and soon regained their two-goal advantage. Beckford supplied a cross from the left as the dangerous Coleman ghosted in and finished with his head.
The fight resumed, but Scunthorpe just did not have the same cutting edge in attack. With 17 minutes left on the clock, it again showed when Fellaini pulled a low strike across Murphy and into the far bottom corner when not closed down quickly enough on the edge of the box.
Forte fired a strike just over on 80 minutes with the angle and a pressing Sylvain Distin against him - and three minutes later Baines made it five. A pass inside from sub Magaye Gueye gave him the opportunity inside the area and he picked out the far top corner with precision.
There were a couple of mad scrambles in the away box as first David Mirfin then sub Sam Togwell saw their headers from corners cleared.
However the gulf between the middling top-flight side and their second-from-bottom Championship opponents was evident throughout - and a 5-1 scoreline reflective of the 90 minutes.
Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport
Source:uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Team Line-up:
Scunthorpe: Murphy, Andrew Wright, Mirfin, Jones, Nolan, Collins, Josh Wright, O'Connor, Woolford, Dagnall, Forte; subs: Slocombe, Togwell, Raynes, Grant, Godden, McClenahan, Cowan Hall
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Osman, Bilyaletdinov, Saha, Beckford; subs: Mucha, Arteta, Neville, Gueye, Yakubu, Rodwell, Anichebe
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