Deon Burton struck with five minutes to go to send Everton one step closer towards a relegation nightmare.

Burton headed home his second goal of the afternoon from close range, nodding in after Thomas Myhre had palmed away Paulo Wanchope's initial effort.

The Jamaican international, who scooped over an open goal from six yards out just before scoring the winner, had earlier equalised for Derby, stabbing home Wanchope's cross on 51 minutes.

Nick Barmby had given Everton the lead on 38 minutes - his first Premiership strike since January 10 last year - to end his side's 367-minute goal drought.

But the visitors subsided under the Rams' second-half bombardment, and a long, hard struggle against relegation beckons.

Without a win in seven Premiership matches, Everton are just four points above the drop zone and with no more money to spend the Blues are facing a desperate fight for survival.

They have hung on to top-flight status by their fingernails on several occasions in recent seasons and considering the precarious position they find themselves in at present they are praying their luck has not run out.

But Everton will have drawn a little comfort in defeat from the display of Barmby, one of the forgotten men of English football, who showed fleeting signs that he may be getting close to his brilliant best today.

He has had a poor time at Goodison since becoming Everton's record signing at £5.75million in November 1996 and he missed three months of this season after a hernia operation.

But he was the man who put them in front with his second goal in three games after scoring the winner against Ipswich in the FA Cup a fortnight ago.

Olivier Dacourt's incisive through ball released Francis Jeffers, and as the 18-year-old - making his full debut today - cut inside Barmby took the ball off his bootlaces and fired inside the near post from 12 yards.

Barmby had gone close earlier in the first half, Russell Hoult saving his volley from the edge of the box, and the England international looked lively.

So too did Jeffers, who after two substitute appearances for Everton was finally given his first start today.

Jeffers, a graduate from the FA's National School of Excellence, has scored 16 goals in 15 games for the club's youth and reserve teams this season - a record in stark contrast to the first team's abysmal performance.

Before today, they had hit the target just 13 times in 23 matches, and £4.5million striker Ibrahima Bakayoko does not look the prolific finisher they need.

He was crowded out by a combination of Stimac and Horacio Carbonari after finding himself clean through, and his apparent desire to walk the ball into the net does not help him.

Bakayoko tried to take every opponent on whenever he got the ball, but Jeffers showed the value of direct running.

He fired one effort just over after outpacing Igor Stimac and getting on the end of David Unsworth's through ball and all in all gave a promising display, especially in the first half.

Everton had slightly the better of the opening 45 minutes, but Derby were in complete control after the interval and deserved the three points.

Myhre made two fine saves from Stefano Eranio, and Mitch Ward's last-ditch intervention denied Wanchope as the Blues were forced on to the back foot.

Burton then missed his gilt-edged chance but as the Everton defence stood and watched the ball bounce back off Myhre's hand the striker pounced to send the majority of the 27,603 crowd home happy.

Teams

Derby: Hoult, Carbonari, Dorigo, Stimac, Prior, Laursen (Powell 76), Eranio, Carsley, Baiano (Harper 76), Burton, Wanchope (Hunt 90).

Subs Not Used: Knight, Christie.

Booked: Laursen, Powell.

Goals: Burton 51, 85.

Everton: Myhre, Ball, Unsworth (Farley 46), Watson, Hutchison, Dacourt, Barmby, Ward, Jeffers, Bakayoko, Dunne.

Subs Not Used: Grant, Oster, Jevons, Simonsen.

Booked: Dunne, Ward, Dacourt.

Goals: Barmby 38.

Att: 27,603

Ref: G Poll (Tring).