Wayne Rooney is supposed to be tired but no one seems to have told the Everton
and England striker.
As Everton's European dreams were slipping away, Rooney, who had glittered all
afternoon, struck a peach of a winner in the third minute of injury time.
After going behind in the first half through a Marcus Allback strike, Everton
had battered away and forced an equaliser through Kevin Campbell's header.
But the priceless winner just would not come until young Rooney struck a sweet
drive from the edge of the box to send Goodison Park into raptures.
With Blackburn, one place behind, winning at Leeds, it looked like Everton's
hold on fifth spot and UEFA Cup qualification was in real danger.
But Rooney, whose boss David Moyes wants him to rest, is clearly determined to
play in Europe next season and crashed home his eighth goal of the season to
ensure three crucial points.
After two damaging Easter defeats, Everton shuffled their pack and brought in
Tony Hibbert - for his first start since December - Steve Watson and Thomas
Gravesen while Villa recalled Dion Dublin.
Everton clearly needed to ovrcome the disappointment of those defeats by
Liverpool and Chelsea if they were to maintain an interest in European places
while Villa's only consideration now is trying to finish above Birmingham.
Villa looked the better side in midfield early on but slowly young Rooney took
the game by the scruff of it's neck.
Kevin Campbell's flick sent him clear on a run from halfway, leaving Ronny
Johnsen trailing, but he pulled his shot wide from the edge of the area.
And David Unsworth then put Rooney in on the left and the teenager's long
cross was headed back across goal by Watson, but no Everton man had anticipated
the opportunity and the ball bounced agonisingly away.
Joey Gudjonsson tested Richard Wright from 30 yards but Everton were into
their stride by now and almost took advantage of a Peter Enckelman error. He
managed to spill a simple pick up 10 yards out and found Campbell sliding in to
send the ball spinning away from the 'keeper who then had to pick himself up and
plunge out to stop Rooney stabbing home the lose ball.
Rooney had plenty of joy switching from flank to flank and picking the ball up
deep and running at defenders. Everton's best early chance so far came on 35
minutes when Gravesen's clever through ball was picked up by Campbell, forcing
Enckelman to dive bravely at his feet 10 yards out. Again the ball broke for
Rooney but from a tight angle his attempted chip to the far post sailed out of
play.
Villa's ageing defenders did not enjoy being exposed to the wandering,
scampering Rooney and the youngster clearly enjoyed himself.
But it was Campbell who again came close on 41 minutes when he met a Gravesen
cross with a powerful header that Enckelman fielded to his right.
Villa had two defenders, Edwards and Johnsen, limping before the break and
neither appeared for the second half, Peter Whittingham and Ian Taylor coming
on.
And Everton instantly on the back foot, creating a lot of their own problems
by conceding possession cheaply, not least Wright with a couple of lazy
clearances.
And on 49 minutes they were punished when Villa stole ahead. Gudjonsson's
cross in from the right was missed by Dublin diving in the box, but it ran on
for Allback coming in on the far post to rifle past Wright from six yards, his
fifth of the season and third in three games.
Everton needed to do something now and Moyes opted for a third striker sending
on Duncan Ferguson for Unsworth, with Naysmith dropping to full back.
The change worked a treat. Ferguson provided extra physical threat and Villa
panicked.
A corner was only half cleared on 59 minutes and pumped back into the box by
Naysmith for Campbell to crash home a close range header for his 11th of the
season.
Now Villa opted for a third striker, sending on Darius Vassell for Oyvind
Leonhardsen.
But it was Rooney who almost set up a second for Everton. First he fed
Ferguson, whose shot was saved by Enckelman and then Rooney saw his effort from
the follow up also stopped by the 'keeper at full stretch.
Everton fought desperately from then on, searching for the winner they knew
they needed if they wanted to stay in the hunt at least for a UEFA Cup spot.
And then in injury time Rooney rescued his side. He struck the winner with a
sweet volley from the edge of the box after an Alan Stubbs free kick had been
headed out to him.
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