Everton 3-0 Norwich City

James McCarthy ends the season with two Premier League goals

Everton responded to the sacking of manager Roberto Martinez with victory over relegated Norwich to end a poor season on a more positive note.

Midfielder James McCarthy's sublime 20-yard finish, following Kieran Dowell's run, put the Toffees on their way to a sixth home league win of the season.

Leighton Baines' penalty made it 2-0 after Romelu Lukaku was fouled by Robbie Brady before Kevin Mirallas tapped home the third.

Norwich finish 19th in the table.

Reaction from Goodison Park and all of Sunday's Premier League games

Relive the action from Goodison Park

What next for Everton?

Former Everton defender David Unsworth, assisted by one-time Goodison manager Joe Royle, took temporary charge, with Martinez having been dismissed after a run of one win in 10 Premier League games.

Kieran Dowell was involved in two of Everton's three goals on his full Premier League debut - but didn't touch the ball once inside the Norwich penalty area

The season had started with talk of silverware. It ends with the club managerless, a bottom-half finish in the table, and Goodison Park's trophy cabinet gathering dust.

Major shareholder Farhad Moshiri must find someone capable of ending the club's 21-year trophy drought, and former Ajax boss Frank de Boer and Southampton manager Ronald Koeman have been linked with the job.

Whoever takes over will find a squad full of potential, with teenage midfielders Kieran Dowell, 18, Tom Davies, 17, and defender Jonjoe Kenny, 19, all playing a role in a rare Everton home victory.

It was Dowell's powerful run which led to McCarthy breaking the deadlock from distance. And Dowell, Davies and Kenny were all involved in the build-up which led to Mirallas tapping home the third goal.

Summer of change

As they seek a new manager, Everton said farewell to long-serving goalkeeper Tim Howard, who is joining Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer on 1 July.

The 37-year-old was rarely troubled as his 414th and final Toffees appearance ended with a clean sheet, with the hosts dominating for long periods.

Tim Howard brought a distinguished decade with Everton to an end with a clean sheet

Striker Arouna Kone's future looks anything but certain while forward Oumar Niasse, signed in a £13.5m deal from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow three months ago, has yet to deliver and was arrested in the build-up to this match.

In terms of points, Everton end the season closer to the relegation zone than the top eight. Whoever is appointed the next manager, a big summer of change lies ahead.

Neil key to Norwich bouncing back

Norwich are heading back to the Championship after losing five of their final six top-flight games.

This performance was as poor as any they have produced all season and will not have filled their travelling fans with much confidence about making an immediate return to the Premier League.

Norwich City ended the season five points from safety

Their manager Alex Neil wanted a performance to reward the fans for their backing. His demands fell on deaf ears.

Still, Norwich could do worse than take a leaf out of Burnley's book and keep faith with Neil for next season. Last season, the Clarets did the same with Sean Dyche after suffering relegation and are now planning a return to the top level.

Man of the match - Kieran Dowell

Kieran Dowell (right) looks a tremendous prospect for Everton, the 18-year-old marking his full Premier League debut with a lively performance and caused Norwich's defence problems throughout.

What they said

Everton joint-interim manager David Unsworth: "If there was a script and I could have written it, it would have been exactly what happened today. I thought we were fantastic.

"I'm very proud. I was delighted the team put that performance in and got the win. Even more so that we got the clean sheet for Tim [Howard].

"It was a fitting ovation for Tim on the pitch. The players have done the same in the dressing room as well, which was a lovely touch."

Everton's departing goalkeeper Tim Howard: "This is a place I love, it is hard to leave. I grew up here, my best friends are here, there have been so many highs.

"I was fighting back the tears at the end. This will always be my home. I love this football club."

Norwich City manager Alex Neil: "I think the first goal summed up our season.

"We had a good break down the right and we put a great ball into Cameron [Jerome] who had a header the keeper collected comfortably, and then within 20 seconds the ball was in our net.

"There were about three or four occasions when we could have stopped it, but defensively we didn't get back quick enough and stop the shot at goal.

"I will now do everything in my power to make sure we're as strong as we can be for next season."

The stats you need to know

• Tim Howard made his 399th and final Premier League appearance.

• Norwich City finish with five clean sheets - the lowest total in the top division this season.

• Leighton Baines has scored 16 of his 17 penalties in the Premier League.

• Kevin Mirallas has scored two goals in his past three Premier League appearances, as many as he managed in his previous 24.

• The Toffees finished the campaign with their first clean sheet in six games, after conceding 12 goals in total in their previous five fixtures.

• In their final 10 Premier League away games, Norwich scored just two goals.