Romelu Lukaku netted a hat-trick as Everton continued their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 win away to Hearts this afternoon.

© Getty Images

Only nine minutes had elapsed at Tynecastle before the deadlock was broken as Callum Paterson rose highest to plant his header beyond the reach of Tim Howard.

The jovial affair turned slightly ugly on 17 minutes as the hosts were left furious by the referee's decision to award the Toffees a penalty.

Amil Ozturk was adjudged to have handled inside the area, with replays showing that it struck his chest, but Lukaku tucked away the resulting spot-kick with aplomb to level matters.

Leon Osman and the Belgian hitman sent efforts narrowly wide of the post on the half-hour mark, before the latter completed his brace on 35 minutes with a tidy finish from Seamus Coleman's cut-back.

Shortly after the break, it was three as Kevin McHattie fouled Kevin Mirallas inside the area, with Lukaku finding the corner from the penalty spot once again.

It could, and perhaps should, have been four on 65 minutes, but Lukaku, instead of shooting, attempted to play in Osman and the midfield's effort was blocked.

Goalscorer Paterson cleared Mirallas's effort off the line on 70 minutes, before Neil Alexander denied Lukaku a fourth minutes later as the Toffees were rampant.

Billy King spurned the chance to have the last laugh as Howard denied Hearts a lifeline on 86 minutes.