Everton	3 - 1	Birmingham
Scorers Yakubu 10 Carsley 90 Vaughan 90	Half Time ( 1 - 0 )	Scorers Kapo 80  Booked Kelly 38

After grabbing an equaliser with 10 minutes to go, Birmingham appeared to be going home with a point until Everton struck twice in injury time to secure a deserved victory.

David Moyes made five changes from the midweek Carling Cup game at Luton and both Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill started the game as Everton welcomed back two of their most influential players.

Steve Bruce included Kapo in his starting XI and hoped that his top scorer could deliver again after scoring the winner against Wigan last weekend. But after he clawed them back into the game, they threw it away in injury time with some shaky defending.

Everton started strongly and pushed the opposition back. They looked the more threatening going forward and if they could get a goal on the board, it was possible they would’ve run away with the game.

And Yakubu scored from close range after 10 minutes to give David Moyes’ side a worthy lead. Arteta’s through ball to Pienaar allowed him to square the ball and Yakubu, unmarked in middle, could tap home from close range.

He should’ve added more by the interval and the Toffees had chances to make the game safe, but failed to make the most of the possession. It was maybe a hangover from the midweek game, but it’s of little value if they can’t perform after a trip to Luton.

Yakubu’s best effort of the half, apart from his goal, was when he stole the ball from the defence after some poor and indecisive play at the back, but Maik Taylor saved their blushes.

Everton didn’t make the most of their domination of the first 45 minutes and Carsley was also guilty with an effort straight at the goalkeeper as the Toffees looked uninspiring in the final third of the pitch.

In the second half, Lee Carsley’s shot hit the roof of the net as Everton looked more likely to score. It was the home side who looked the stronger and better side but they couldn’t break Steve Bruce’s side down.

But Birmingham came back into the game as the clock wore on and they looked to have grabbed an unlikely point when Oliver Kapo headed in at the near post after 80 minutes when he met a corner.

James Vaughan’s shot was deflected by Djourou after Pienaar again found some space in the right as the visiting defence just about managed to hold out again.

But as the game entered injury time, Lee Carsley’s 20-yard strike put Everton back ahead. Some more indecisive defending gave possession away needlessly as the ball got stuck under defender’s feet and a weak clearance went straight to Carsley who took a second to compose himself before shooting through an advancing crowd of players and past the keeper.

And a minute later, James Vaughan latched on to a through-ball and managed to hold off the challenge of a defender to coolly finish and put the result beyond doubt.

The three points edges Everton closer to a top six position and despite the missed chances in this game, maybe their resilience shows they have the determination to secure another European spot this season.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce can only look on in disbelief as his side wasted a chance to pick up another useful point. After last weekend’s game against Wigan, where they took the lead and then had to come from behind for a win, they again failed to batten down the hatches at the back to make the point safe.


Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Stubbs (Jagielka 22), Lescott, Arteta, Carsley, Osman (Vaughan 80), Pienaar (Gravesen 85), Cahill, Yakubu.

Subs Not Used: Wessels, McFadden.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Schmitz, Djourou, Ridgewell, De Ridder (Forssell 79), Muamba, Nafti (McSheffrey 71), Larsson (O'Connor 52), Kapo, Jerome.

Subs Not Used: Kingson, Danns.

Att: 35,155

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

By Ben Hughes