Two-goal Kevin Campbell fired 10-man Everton out of the Premiership relegation zone at Goodison park today.

For once the team who can create calamities out of nothing, showed heart and pride in a fear-ridden showdown that could have a major influence on which of these two sides goes down.

Coventry, who felt after two wins over Easter that they had dug themselves out of the mire, are right back in it.

Everton took a 29th minute lead through Campbell, the £3.5million man on loan from Turkish side Trabzonspor.

It was his first goal since his deadline-week move, and he wrapped up the points with two minutes left.

But the final, dramatic moments included Marco Materazzi being sent off for the third time this season, with furious Everton players claiming Darren Huckerby had dived.

Referee Rob Harris had already dished out seven yellow cards in a performance that upset both sides, and Materazzi was ushered away from the battle in a rage. He'll now face a ban that will hit Everton's final games of a traumatic season, and Frenchman Olivier Dacourt also picked up his 15th caution of the campaign and is also sure to be in trouble with the FA again.

Everton just about deserved the victory, kept their nerve in a white-hot atmosphere, and should have had a couple more.

Magnus Hedman had stopped Everton taking an early lead with a fantastic reflex save after 23 minutes. Francis Jeffers had got away from David Burrows down the right and fired in a low cross that Nicky Barmby met on the run with a fierce shot from just six yards.

But the Swedish goalkeeper somehow stuck out an arm to deflect the ball to safety.

Everton, with Dave Unsworth out with a stomach upset, recalled veteran defender Dave Watson, but Coventry started the better side, and Gary Breen saw a first-minute low drive deflected wide of the far post.

Everton's nerves were already raw, but they managed to survive some hairy moments early on before Dacourt and Michael Ball both had shots that cannoned off defenders as the Merseysiders sought for control of a frantic, passionate match.

Referee Rob Harris enraged both sides with a string of dubious decisions, and booked Scot Gemmill for dissent. Coventry had lost Paul Telfer with an ankle injury, which disrupted their pattern and John Aloisi found himself hurled into the fray.

Paul Boateng was next in the book for a foul on Dacourt, and Thomas Myhre next for time wasting - after just 37 minutes!

The Oxford official was struggling to keep control by now, and had a heated exchange with Coventry's coach Gary Pendry on the touchline after a disputed throw-in, and clearly threatened to banish the Coventry man to the stands.

Everton's goal came after 29 minutes after a flowing four-man move in a quick break from defence.

Jeffers, Gemmill and Barmby were involved before the ball was pushed to Campbell. He got between two defenders and took the ball round Hedman before scoring from an acute angle.

Jeffers should have made it two a minute from the beak when he was presented with a clear opening by Barmby, after Materazzi's run, but Hedman managed to block the shot.

With the stakes so high, the second period was a catalogue of bookings and mistakes, and more refereeing decisions that confused everyone.

Coventry gave Everton all sorts of problems with Huckerby's pace, with both managers - Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan - virtually a foot apart on the line screaming instructions.

They even bumped into each other at one stage, but the two Scots just dissolved into laughter. What was going on out on the pitch was no laughing matter, with nerves and tempers shreaded everywhere you looked.

Dacourt picked up his 15th booking of the season after 52 minutes, and seven minutes later Paul Williams got away with flattening Barmby on the edge of the box. But in the row that followed, Huckerby pushed the ball three foot to where he felt the free-kick should be taken from, and referee Harris decided that was worth a caution.

Boateng could easily have gone off for a late foul on Dacourt, but again Harris did nothing but warn both players. Materazzi was next in the book for a foul on Gary McAllister, and was lucky it wasn't more severe a punishment because of the protracted complaints from the Italian, even though he did look to have got the ball.

Two minutes later Barmby became the seventh player to be cautioned, but with the tension and rage around by now it could have been many more.

With six minutes to go Materazzi was sent off for what Harris considered was a trip on Huckerby. But Everton's players to a man felt the Coventry player had dived, and they had a case.

The Italian went off in deep distress, leaving Everton to survive without him. But four minutes later Campbell struck again with a neat flick at the near post after substitute Tony Grant and Barmby had created the chance.

There was still time for Myhre to save superbly at the foot of a post from Breen, and Everton were out of the bottom three.

Teams

Everton: Myhre, Weir, Short, Watson, Ball, Dacourt, Gemmill, Barmby, Materazzi, Jeffers (Grant 86), Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Ward, Degn, Cadamarteri, Simonsen.

Sent Off: Materazzi (84).

Booked: Gemmill, Myhre, Dacourt, Materazzi, Barmby.

Goals: Campbell 29, 88.

Coventry: Hedman, Telfer (Aloisi 15), Shaw, Breen, Burrows, McAllister, Boateng, Soltvedt, Williams, Huckerby, Whelan.

Subs Not Used: Konjic, Edworthy, Shilton, Kirkland.

Booked: Boateng, Huckerby.

Att: 32,341

Ref: R Harris (Oxford).