EVERTON were sunk by a rare defensive lapse in the German port-town of Bremen, as a self-inflicted calamity marred an otherwise solid pre-season work-out.

The Blues lost 1-0 to opponents further along in their summer preparations, but David Moyes will be pleased with the progressive challenge this entertaining tie with the Bundesliga side represented.

Perhaps in rebuttal to the incessant rumour mill surrounding Phil Jagielka’s future, Moyes named the England defender as skipper, with Phil Neville on the bench.

Jan Mucha was given an opportunity in goal as Tim Howard was rested, and the Everton boss showed his clear faith in 17-year-old Ross Barkley by handing the exciting academy prospect a place in the starting line-up.

With the German season beginning on Saturday, Bremen coach Thomas Shaaf named a strong line-up, albeit while resting Bundesliga’s answer to Lionel Messi, the in-demand Marko Marin.

Although the game began at a typical pre-season canter , both sides saw plenty of the ball and Barkley registered the Blues’ first chance with a thumping shot which tested Sebastian Mieltz, moments after he had put an over-lapping Tony Hibbert almost through on goal.

Then Tim Cahill and Jermaine Beckford both had headed attempts as the first half developed into an open contest, while Bremen won a string of corners but were unable to trouble Mucha or the Toffees back four, defending solidly to a sound-track of ‘There’s Only One Jagielka’ chants from the travelling Blues behind them.

And Jagielka was at his indomitable best, performing a typically brave block that denied Marko Arnautovic from opening the scoring, after a wonderful pass from Brazilian midfielder Wesley.

Bremen could have been two up moments after though, when Arnautovic raced through but rolled a tame shot at Mucha.

Suddenly the momentum was with the home side, and they edged in front when a mix-up between Mucha and Sylvain Distin allowed striker Sandro Wagner to head home off the Slovakian goalkeeper.

The second half saw Mucha depart for the man whose place he is trying to dislodge, Tim Howard, as Louis Saha was also introduced for Victor Anichebe.

With Everton’s sense of purpose sagging, Moyes curtailed another richly promising cameo from Barkley to add the pace of Seamus Coleman, while Hibbert swapped places with Neville.

Leighton Baines produced the strike of the game to almost restore parity, a stinging rebounded volley from his own cleared free-kick, but Bremen’s extra pre-season minutes had already started to tell by then.

And blue legs looked particularly heavy when Markus Rosenberg beat Everton’s off-side trap, only to waste a glorious one on one chance by firing wide.

The contest petered out soon after with a swathe of changes by both managers hitting the tempo, and while Moyes will be unhappy with the result, he will still take positives from Jagielka’s focused display.

A swift return of playmaker Mikel Arteta, with a lack of creativity Everton’s only other major worry, would help too.