Everton 3, Birmingham City 1

Nov 3 2007 By DOMINIC KING at GOODISON PARK

Everton players celebrate against Blues

LEE CARSLEY was the hero this afternoon as a late, late show saw Everton scramble past Birmingham City.

The Blues’ reliable midfielder crashed an unstoppable shot past Maik Taylor in the third minute of injury time to end Birmingham’s plucky resistance and then sent James Vaughan racing clear seconds later to clinch victory.

It was a close call, though, for Everton - who had led through Ayegbeni Yakubu’s first half goal - after they had been pegged back when Olivier Kapo popped up with a header that looked set to secure his side a point.

Birmingham might have held Liverpool to a goalless draw the last time they came to Merseyside but Everton’s bright start to this encounter made the chance of them repeating the feat remote. So it proved.

Having threatened early on when Steven Pienaar skipped onto an Alan Stubbs pass and provided a cross that Liam Ridgewell managed to clear, it came as no surprise when the Blues took the lead after another well worked move.

A deft pass from Mikel Arteta sent Pienaar galloping clear once again and, with the visitors’ defence in disarray, the South African had time to tee up Yakubu, who rolled a left-footed effort past the helpless Taylor.

Perhaps things were all too easy for Everton, as a momentary lapse in concentration at the back allowed Olivier Kapo a chance to shoot for the visitors but Joseph Yobo was on hand to clear the danger after Tim Howard had spilled the initial effort.

That, though, was as good as it got for Steve Bruce’s men and they should have been out of the game just before the half hour when Arteta and Phil Neville combined to tee up Lee Carsley but his shot lacked conviction and allowed Taylor to gather comfortably.

The pace of the game slackened considerably after the break yet Everton still looked the side more likely to score; Leon Osman was thwarted by a couple of last ditch tackles, while a thumping volley from Carsley whistled past Taylor’s cross bar.

Everything seemed to be going to plan but disaster stuck in the 80th minute when, having failed to clear their lines, a Gary McSheffrey’s corner was bundled in from close range by Kapo with Tim Howard helpless.

It was not the outcome that had appeared likely but fortunately Carsley came to the rescue in just the nick of time and this is the first time since 1991 that Everton have won four games in succession.