WHO needs centre-forwards anyway? One day you could suddenly have £32million to spend on one and what does that get you?

On Saturday’s evidence, one shot on goal in a largely anonymous performance that didn’t even last the 90 minutes.

And for that Everton deserve credit. Robinho was a peripheral figure thanks to a defensive display synonymous with the recent away form that has rescued their season from disintegration.

But the main reason that praise should fall on David Moyes’s men like the relentless Manchester rain is their efforts at the other end.

Of all the shortages the Everton manager has suffered this season, Saturday’s was a crisis like no other, with the cruellest injury luck imaginable robbing him of any recognised senior strikers.

It could only have been worse if they were playing the game at home.

However, there may have been no forwards available – but there was one deadly goalscorer raring to go.

Tim Cahill hit his first goal for Everton at the City of Manchester Stadium in September 2004. And since then his scoring record has been like the abdominal muscles he unveiled that day to earn himself a second yellow card – pretty impressive.

The Australian was actually suffering a severe drought by his standards before his injury time winner, which was his first goal for three months.

And it’s widely accepted that Cahill thrives on arriving undetected into the area and getting on the end of things from a deeper position.

But just like he did four years ago at this same ground, his ability to rise to meet set-pieces is a habit he couldn’t kick even if he wanted to.

In fact, if he was asked to play a lone role at the other end of the field, behind the defence and between the sticks, you suspect he would still have ventured up field to meet Leon Osman’s finely floated corner.

He deserved the goal for his efforts in ploughing that unfamiliar lone furrow, and the team deserved the three points for the way they applied themselves to the task.

With Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe failing to recover in time for the game and Yakubu and James Vaughan likely to be out for the season, that team spirit and togetherness was more vital than ever.

It’s imperative two of that quartet regain fitness quickly and having a Monday night fixture next week is something of a blessing.

But Saturday was the time for other players to take responsibility, with Marouane Fellaini excellent in his support of Cahill, and both Osman and Steven Pienaar putting in punishing shifts on the flanks.

Phil Jagielka was also immense, as he shrugged off last week’s blip against Aston Villa with the same ease he shrugged off Robinho.

But Moyes will also take nothing but encouragement from the contribution of Segundo Castillo. The Ecuador international has struggled to settle into English football and find full fitness, so much so that Saturday’s was his first appearance since the Carling Cup exit to Blackburn in late September.

But in the holding midfield role that has been such a problem area all season, he remained composed and controlled, extinguishing both City’s creativity and, hopefully, those ‘Everton have never really replaced Lee Carsley’ soundbites.