Everton can kiss goodbye to any fanciful dreams they had of playing in Europe next season in the much-maligned Intertoto Cup.

Blackburn deservedly won this one, with headed goals from Matt Jansen and Andy Cole, both players taking their season's totals to 15 apiece.

Nick Chadwick's cheeky backheel was not enough to rescue Everton, who must finish above Fulham to get their backdoor entry into Europe. But with their last game now away to championship-chasing Arsenal, there seems little hope of Everton adding any more points to their total this season.

And Europe would surely be an embarrassment for them. Almost as much of an embarrassment as the end-of-match lap of honour - dishonour more likely - as a half-empty stadium waved off their heroes.

Goodison Park's last game of the season brought out the flags, it was a near full house and David Weir got his player of the year trophy to justified acclaim.

After another disappointing season, Everton fans do not need much to celebrate and the fact that they are about to embark on their 100th season in the top flight - the first club to reach such a record - brought out banners proclaiming the fact.

Having witnessed countless seasons of last-ditch survival it must rank as a football miracle that Everton can boost about such things.

The fear of relegation had been lifted from both sides, Rovers' escape coming when Manchester United won at Ipswich the day before, Everton's survival assured by their victory at Southampton a week earlier.

And it was Blackurn, with their escape fresher in their minds, who produced some entertaining football which gave them a deserved first-half lead.

Damien Duff was a constant threat down the left, Jansen quick and involved whilst David Dunn down the other flank also shone.

Everton started with enterprise, but soon fell back into their old habits of conceding possession and failing to pass the ball with any measure of accuracy.

New boss David Moyes may well have guided Everton into safe Premiership waters, but he clearly cannot correct all their problems overnight.

Blackburn were ahead after 10 minutes. Duff's efforts produced a corner and when the ball was played to Dunn his instant cross was powered home by Jansen.

Jansen had arrived in the six yard box unmarked to head powerfully past Paul Gerrard, but the Everton keeper could have reacted quicker than he did to the swirling initial cross.

Everton should have equalised three minutes later when the ball reached an unmarked Dave Unsworth on the left of the box, but his mishit drive flashed across the goal where teenager Chadwick only just failed to deflect the ball in.

Dunn saw an 18 yarder flash wide after fine work by Duff, while Brad Friedel needed to be alert to turn away a Scot Gemmill drive at the other end.

But Rovers' spirited effort forced Everton into countless errors as they continually conceded the ball when they did manage to get hold of it.

Blackburn should have doubled their lead three minutes after the break.

Dunn's free-kick into the box was flicked on by Jansen - forcing Gerrard into a plunging save - only to see Flitcroft diving in to hit the post from the rebound.

And two minutes later Rovers were made to pay for that miss. Unsworth's corner was headed into the six yard box by Weir for Chadwick to backheel past a startled Friedel into the bottom corner.

But it did not take Rovers long to regain the lead. On 63 minutes Dunn's corner was headed out by Kevin Campbell to Duff who unleashed a searing 25-yard drive that Gerrard saw late as it powered through a mass of players.

He dived to block the effort but could do nothing to stop Cole's diving header from the rebound.

Souness took off both his Turkish stars, Hakan Unsal and Tugay, replacing them with Nils Johansson and Keith Gillespie before the restart.

Dunn hit the bar as Blackburn pressed for a third, before Tomasz Radzinski came on for Niclas Alexandersson after 73 minutes, Everton using three strikers to try to rescue things.

Jesper Blomqvist, with 10 minutes left, was Moyes' last throw of the dice as he replaced Unsworth.

But Cole almost got a third when be broke away in injury time to chip over Gerrard, with the ball dropping over the bar.

Teams

Everton: Gerrard, Watson, Weir, Stubbs, Pistone, Alexandersson (Radzinski 74), Gravesen, Gemmill, Unsworth (Blomqvist 82), Campbell, Chadwick.

Subs Not Used: Linderoth, Pettinger, Carsley.

Booked: Stubbs, Unsworth.

Goals: Chadwick 51.

Blackburn: Friedel, Taylor, Short, Berg, Unsal (Johansson 64), Duff, Flitcroft, Tugay (Gillespie 64), Dunn, Cole, Jansen.

Subs Not Used: Hughes, Yordi, Kelly.

Booked: Jansen, Cole.

Goals: Jansen 10, Cole 63.

Att: 34,976

Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).