In the end, Bradford had no-one except themselves to blame after they missed two penalties and were finally relegated back to the Nationwide League.

But Everton, who themselves had been in need of a win to steer clear of relegation trouble, will look to goalkeeper Paul Gerrard for a large slice of their salvation.

A couple of weeks ago he was pilloried for allowing a 44-yard Gary McAllister free-kick to elude him and hand Liverpool victory in the Merseyside derby.

But this time he was the hero with a marvellous penalty save when Bradford were threatening to undo all of Everton's good work in coming back from an early goal down, Andy Myers having given the battling Bantams a third-minute lead.

Duncan Ferguson and then Niclas Alexandersson clawed Everton in front but Bradford squandered both spotkicks in a second-half spell which sealed their fate.

First Gerrard produced his wonder save from Robbie Blake and then Benito Carbone, Bradford's best player on the day, lifted a second spot-kick over the top.

The importance of the occasion to Everton was clear as they brought back Duncan Ferguson, David Unsworth, Steve Watson and Richard Gough to the side.

Bradford had Jamie Lawrence in for Gareth Whalley, while Wayne Jacobs passed a late fitness test.

The plucky Yorkshire outfit may have looked down and out for most of the season, but it was they who started with more purpose and they stunned Goodison Park with a goal after just two minutes and three seconds.

Carbone won a corner on the left and hoisted the kick in himself for defender Myers to power a six-yard header high into the net for his first goal of the season.

Everton, using the long ball to Ferguson and Kevin Campbell unashamedly, hit back with a Campbell header superbly saved by Gary Walsh from Watson's cross.

The keeper made further fine saves from Ferguson's smart volley and David Weir's close-range header.

Everton kept trying to come forward but it all looked pretty messy even though they created and wasted a host of chances.

Mark Pembridge had two powerful drives charged down as Everton sought desperately to get back into the game.

Carbone scared Everton stiff every time he got near the ball. One 20-yard shot from the Italian was pulled down by Paul Gerrard and he tormented anyone who came near with flicks, nutmegs and a passing quality totally out of context in a frantic match.

Carbone took a neat ball from Robbie Blake and ghosted past three defenders to go clear in the box before angling his shot wide of the far post.

Meanwhile Everton continued to squander chances. A Michael Ball long throw was completely miskicked by Watson on the six-yard line, and Alexandersson then clipped the ball wide of Walsh's right-hand post.

Walsh saved after Campbell had put Ferguson in on the left, with no Everton colleague quick enough off the mark to do anything about the situation.

Everton put on Thomas Gravesen and teenager Tony Hibbert at the break for Unsworth and Gough, and immediately showed more urgency.

Within two minutes they were level. Ball's long throw from the left was flicked on by Cambell for Ferguson to turn and fire home from inside the six-yard box - his sixth goal of the season and fourth in his last six appearances.

But after 55 minutes Bradford themselves squandered a great chance to regain the lead. Watson brought down Carbone on the left of the box, and up stepped Blake to fire in a spot-kick that Gerrard saved superbly to his right.

Seven minutes later Bradford were punished for that miss as Everton took the lead when Alexandersson rifled the ball in at the far post after a Scot Gemmill cross had flicked off a defender and fallen at his feet.

But the drama still was not over and Bradford wasted another penalty a minute later.

It looked as if a Myers header had hit Watson's arm although referee Paul Durkin had no doubt and pointed to the spot. Carbone lined up for the spot-kick this time and managed to lift his effort over the bar.

Campbell could have settled the match when he turned onto a Gemmill lob forward and saw his shot flash across goal and wide of the far post.

Still Everton were living on their nerves. Another Carbone intervention - this time a curling cross from the left - saw Ashley Ward rise to head agonisingly wide.

Large gaps began to appear at the back for Bradford and Everton were denied a third goal following a stunning save from Walsh, who plunged to his left to palm away Campbell's diving header from Ferguson's cross with 14 minutes left.

Next it was Ferguson to look on in disbelief as Walsh produced another remarkable save from a towering header from the big Scot.

Campbell's header over the bard and Ferguson, with a clever chip over the bar, still could not finish it off for Everton as they tension mounted.

But despite a last desperate flurry from the Yorkshiremen, their relegation was confirmed after three minutes of injury-time.

Teams

Everton: Gerrard, Gough (Hibbert 45), Weir, Ball, Unsworth (Gravesen 45), Steve Watson, Pembridge, Gemmill, Alexandersson, Ferguson, Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Moore, Tal.

Booked: Unsworth.

Goals: Ferguson 47, Alexandersson 64.

Bradford: Walsh, Myers, Halle, Molenaar, Jacobs, Blake, McCall, Jess, Lawrence, Carbone, Ward.

Subs Not Used: Nolan, Davison, Locke, Grant, Kerr.

Booked: Molenaar, Ward.

Goals: Myers 3.

Att: 34,256

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).