Tim Cahill inspired Everton to their first win at Villa Park in 18 years as David Moyes' side tightened their grip on a Champions League spot.

The Australian international scored once himself and set up two goals for Leon Osman as Everton took full advantage of Liverpool's absence from Premiership duty.

They are now eight points clear in fourth spot of their Merseyside rivals after a sixth away win of the campaign.

The last time Everton triumphed on this ground in April 1987 - via a Kevin Sheedy goal - they went onto clinch their last league title the following month.

Such honours may be beyond them this time but the massive financial rewards of the Champions League are now within their grasp.

Everton have sometimes been accused of grinding out results this season and the determination of the likes of Lee Carsley and Mikel Arteta was in evidence as the visitors won most of the second ball.

But there was also a fluency about their performance as they sliced through the shaky Villa rearguard almost at will.

Villa will be able to take few pluses from this woeful showing and January signing Eric Djemba-Djemba looks well off the pace.

But there was at least the return to action after a four-month absence with a broken ankle of Darius Vassell.

Villa desperately need him and Juan Pablo Angel to reignite their forward partnership as quickly as possible with Luke Moore struggling to make an impact.

Villa made a bright start and Thomas Hitzlsperger quickly made his presence felt on his recall with a slide-rule pass into the path of Gareth Barry and it needed a well-timed tackle by Joseph Yobo to halt the midfielder as he prepared to shoot.

But Everton were soon bossing the game and Cahill made a penetrating run before releasing Marcus Bent whose shot was blocked by an alert Villa skipper Olof Mellberg at the expense of a corner.

After 17 minutes Osman put Everton ahead with his sixth goal of the campaign with Cahill the creator.

His curling cross from the left flank evaded the lunge of Bent but Osman was alert behind him at the far post to head home.

Everton were now dominating proceedings and Bent was not far off target with a rising drive from the edge of the area after running onto a pass from Arteta.

Thomas Sorensen went down to his right to cling onto a low long-range drive from Alessandro Pistone and Villa looked half asleep.

But after 29 minutes the woodwork came to the rescue for the Merseysiders after a foul on Djemba-Djemba by Cahill.

Solano arrowed a curling and dipping free-kick across the Everton box and Nigel Martyn was well beaten as the ball clipped the far post.

Villa looked so jittery whenever Everton ventured forward and Djemba-Djemba was yellow-carded after 34 minutes for a crude challenge on Arteta.

Cahill should have done better when he shot high and wide after breaking clear on the left of the Villa area.

The game exploded into action with two goals in the opening three minutes of the second period.

Villa were back on level terms within 60 seconds of the restart through Solano's eighth goal of the campaign.

Luke Moore dispossessed Yobo before releasing Hitzlsperger and, although Martin managed to parry his cross cum shot, Solano was on hand to make no mistake from close range.

But almost immediately Everton regained the advantage through a seventh goal of the campaign from Cahill.

Bent won the ball on the right despite the attentions of Samuel and the Villa marking was non existent as Cahill headed home his centre.

Vassell made his return from a broken ankle after 62 minutes in place of Moore but the home side continued to look wobbly and Sorensen deflected efforts from Bent and Osman around the post.

Osman was not to be denied and after 68 minutes he made no mistake from close range for his second goal with Cahill again the provider as the Villa defence was sliced open.

Solano hit the woodwork in the closing stages but Villa left the field to a crescendo of boos from the Holte End.

Teams

Aston Villa: Sorensen, De la Cruz, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Samuel, Solano, Djemba-Djemba (Hendrie 56), Hitzlsperger, Barry, Angel, Luke Moore (Vassell 62).

Subs Not Used: Laursen, Postma, Berson.

Booked: Djemba-Djemba, Solano, Hendrie.

Goals: Solano 46.

Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Pistone, Osman, Cahill (Naysmith 90), Carsley, Arteta, Kilbane, Bent (Ferguson 88).

Subs Not Used: Wright, Plessis, Vaughan.

Goals: Osman 17, Cahill 48, Osman 67.

Att: 40,248

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).