Everton eased themselves away from the relegation zone with their first league
win at Goodison Park since Christmas.
Substitute Tomasz Radzinski climbed off the bench late in the game to break
the deadlock with a near-post header.
And when midfielder Thomas Gravesen swept in the second with seven minutes
left, Villa's five-match unbeaten run was over while Everton could celebrate
victory for the first time this year after nine painful matches.
But it was an awful match. For long spells neither side appeared to have any
passion or inspiration, even if Everton's desire eventually carried them to
victory.
Everton manager David Moyes climbed off his sickbed to take control of his
side, and for long spells the Merseysiders did little for his health. But at
least they showed more fight and spirit in the dying minutes to justify the
points.
The home side had Alan Stubbs fit again after a groin injury, while Villa
fielded the side which was held at home last weekend by Birmingham.
A strangely pedestrian start from Everton saw Villa take the early initiative,
with Gareth Barry shooting over after a poor Nigel Martyn punch, before Lee
Hendrie sped away to test Martyn after Thomas Gravesen lost possession.
That was the story of the first half with both sides squandering possession
far too often.
Rooney provided the only spark from Everton, almost breaking clear onto a long
ball and then firing a 20-yard free-kick over the bar.
Everton resorted to long balls to Ferguson with Rooney hovering for the
scraps, while Villa seemed determined to pass the ball through midfield with the
excellent Nolberto Solano pulling the strings.
Lee Hendrie and Rooney were involved in a bout of pushing and shoving after
the Everton youngster felt he had been fouled, before referee Matt Messias
calmed things down.
That seemed to ignite Rooney, who after 20 minutes took a long ball on his
chest and controlled well. But before he could get in a shot Olof Mellberg got
in a tackle from behind which Rooney again thought was a foul.
After 21 minutes, Everton lost Alessandro Pistone with a muscle injury and
brought on David Unsworth in his place at left-back. The substitute's first
involvement was an angled cross from the left which Ferguson took on his chest
before spinning to strike a left-footed shot over the top.
Solano fired over another decent ball from the right and Barry was given yards
of space in the box to send a header bouncing wide of Martyn's right-hand post.
Rooney seemed to be spending most of the match on the floor - and his temper
was becoming frayed.
Villa should have taken the lead after 43 minutes when Solano's cross was
turned on by Hendrie for Darius Vassell to see his six-yard shot blocked by
Martyn's legs.
Rooney's lack of patience finally got him into trouble when he and Tobias
Linderoth were booked in quick succession for fouls with Villa threatening to
take control. With Unsworth also booked earlier, Everton's annoyance at the way
the game was going clearly showed.
The level of entertainment hardly improved after the break, although Martyn
did produce a excellent palmed save from close range from a Vassell header.
Everton tried to work Kevin Kilbane into space on the left. He saw one cross
headed high over by Steve Watson and then managed to nod an effort of his own
high from Gravesen's cross, with Samuel soon booked for a foul on the Dane.
Ferguson had a header and then an overhead effort saved before Tomasz
Radzinski was sent on in the place of Watson to inject some much needed pace
into the game.
And the Canadian was only fractionally offside when he swept in Rooney's pass
with Everton now desperate for priceless points.
Unsworth dropped a header onto the bar from Gravesen's cross after 76 minutes
before Peter Crouch came on for Vassell a minute later.
But it was Everton, after 77 minutes, who at last broke the deadlock when
Rooney skipped away from Ronny Johnsen and clipped a cross to the near post
where Radzinski flicked a header into the far corner.
After 82 minutes Juan Pablo Angel went down theatrically under Stubbs'
challenge, and referee Messias ignored pleas for a Villa penalty. When Hendrie
then tried to grab the referee's arm to complain he was fortunate to just be
booked.
And it got worse for Villa a minute later when Gravesen settled the issue by
forcing his way down the inside right channel and firing a shot across Thomas
Sorensen and into the bottom corner for Everton's second.
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