Everton hit Brann for six

The Nigerian bagged a second hat-trick since joining the club - the first came against Fulham in the Barclays Premier League - to become only the third Everton player to hit a treble in Europe.

Gray managed the feat in 1985, 15 years after Ball, putting Yakubu in illustrious company on a night which also saw Andy Johnson score twice and Mikel Arteta net for the Toffees. Petter Vaagan Moen netted for the visitors.

Yakubu settled Everton's nerves after a shaky start when he curled home from 15 yards after Tim Cahill had created the chance.

Four minutes from the break the tie was all over when Johnson took a pass from Arteta, turned away from Hanstveit and drilled a low shot inside the far post.

It was 3-0 in the 54th minute when Steven Pienaar found Yakubu, whose sidestep wrong-footed two defenders and enabled him to place a 12-yard effort inside Hakon Opdal's left-hand post.

Brann deserved something for their efforts, and it came on the hour when Petter Vaagan Moen sent in a low free-kick from 25 yards that Phil Jagielka could have cleared - but he allowed the ball past him and Tim Howard reacted too late to stop it going in.

But Everton kept coming forward and they grabbed their fourth goal in the 71st minute when Arteta's 20-yarder clipped Azar Karadas, wrong-footed Opdal and went in off a post.

A minute later Yakubu completed his hat-trick when Pienaar's cross found him on the far post for an easy tap-in.

And Johnson completed the scoring in injury-time when he crashed home his second goal from 25 yards.