Everton are right back in the driving seat to claim a Champions League spot
after this comprehensive victory that leaves Crystal Palace trapped in the
relegation zone.
And as they piled the pressure on neighbours Liverpool, they were able to
parade a new young star in Birmingham-born James Vaughan, who became the
youngest goalscorer in Premiership history at the age of 16 years and 271 days.
In doing so, he beat the record of James Milner by 86 days, who had set a new
mark aged 16 years and 357 days when he scored for Leeds at Sunderland in
December 2002.
Vaughan came off the bench to become Everton's youngest player, beating Joe
Royle's record by 11 days, before breaking Wayne Rooney's record as the youngest
club scorer.
It wrapped up a great day for Everton who needed this boost after three
successive defeats had seemingly allowed Liverpool back into the hunt for fourth
place, the Anfield men starting the weekend just one point adrift of their
neighbours.
It could well be the pivotal point of the season for both clubs.
Tim Cahill struck twice soon after the break after Spanish midfielder Mikel
Arteta had curled home an excellent free kick early on. Vaughan's fourth with
four minutes to go was just the icing on the cake.
Moyes' answer to Everton's worrying run was to give Duncan Ferguson his first
appearance in a starting line-up since December, with Joseph Yobo and Lee
Carsley left out.
Everton got off to a roaring start with Kevin Kilbane sending a 30-yard shot
fractionally over the bar. Ferguson caused all sorts of problems for Darren
Powell in the air while Arteta's control and passing ability stretched Palace.
And the on-loan Real Sociedad midfielder was soon to score his first goal for
club after a howler from Palace keeper Gabor Kiraly that could easily have seen
him sent off.
Instead he was booked by referee Uriah Rennie after a linesman spotted the
Hungarian carrying the ball out of his box in the eighth minute.
Kiraly tried hard to drop the ball as he got to the line, and Rennie obviously
felt it was unintentional. But Everton punished the error when Arteta curled a
spectacular effort into the top corner with Kiraly at full stretch.
Nigel Martyn had to save smartly from Andrew Johnson, and then Everton lost
skipper Alan Stubbs with what looked like a dislocated shoulder.
The big defender went down clutching his face after a challenge with Johnson,
whose boot seemed to catch the centre half but when he was eventually taken off,
the clear worry was his right shoulder. Steve Watson came on as substitute.
Vassilis Lakis nearly created the equaliser when he fired over a left-wing
cross and Tom Soares arrived at the near post to head narrowly wide.
But it was Kiraly that Palace had to thank for avoiding a second goal when he
managed a miraculous save with his left boot after Ferguson had met a Bent cross
from the right just five yards out.
But the second goal was not long in coming. Two minutes after the break a Bent
overhead hook from the right confused Powell and dropped for Cahill racing into
the box to spin and crash a rising volley into the roof of the net.
And Cahill struck again eight minutes later with Palace a shambles at the
back. Kevin Kilbane skipped past two half-hearted tackles to reach the line and
cross to the far post for an unmarked Cahill to head into the roof of the net
from a couple of yards out.
Palace responded with a double substitution, Sandor Torghelle and Ben Watson
replacing Lakis and Aki Riihilahti, and could easily have had two back soon
after. Toghelle hit a post three minutes after coming on and Routledge grazed
the outside of the woodwork from 12 yards.
But then Vaughan took over to create his own piece of Everton and Premiership
history.
The youngster showed no fear, bowling over Powell and shutting down a Danny
Granville clearance before surging into the box to have a shot blocked. Referee
Rennie even had to quietly ask him to calm down.
But four minutes from time Vaughan arrived in the box to slam home a Kilbane
cross to break Rooney's record as the youngest Everton player to score in a
first-team game.
Teams
Everton Martyn, Hibbert, Stubbs (Watson 26), Weir,
Naysmith (Vaughan 74), Osman, Arteta, Cahill, Kilbane,
Ferguson, Bent (Carsley 67).
Subs Not Used: Wright, McFadden.
Booked: Hibbert.
Goals: Arteta 7, Cahill 47, 54, Vaughan 87.
Crystal Palace Kiraly, Leigertwood, Hall, Powell, Granville,
Riihilahti (Watson 57), Routledge, Hughes, Soares,
Lakis (Torghelle 57), Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Speroni, Hudson, Borrowdale.
Booked: Kiraly.
Att: 36,519
Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook