LEON OSMAN is threatening to turn Everton’s goal of the season award into his own personal competition.

The diminutive midfielder has acquired a welcome habit of contributing magnificent goals at important times for David Moyes’s side this campaign.

Having already notched a brilliant UEFA Cup strike against Larissa, Osman added another magnificent effort to his portfolio as the Goodison Park outfit emerged triumphant from their first-ever competitive visit to Norway.

Osman’s venomous 59th-minute volley – his sixth goal of the season – helped Everton see off the threat of SK Brann and place one foot firmly towards a tie in the last 16 against either Rosenborg or Fiorentina.

Moyes’s other lucky European charm, Victor Anichebe, continued his love affair with the UEFA Cup by scoring his customary goal after emerging from the bench to seal the triumph with two minutes remaining.

That’s four in this competition for the teenager – all as substitute – and was an indication of the strength in depth that allowed Everton to make light of their debilitating injury concerns last night.

The final scoreline may have slightly flattered the visitors – particularly given their curiously laboured first-half showing – but the result underlined their growing maturity in Europe.

Since the nervous 1-1 draw at home to Metalist Kharkiv back in September, Moyes’s side have rattled off six successive UEFA Cup victories and have won all four away games in the competition.

Brann were spirited but limited opposition and, barring a bout of chronic complacency, will surely be despatched when the teams meet for the return match at Goodison Park next Thursday.

The Norwegian champions had their moments but, with Phil Jagielka again excellent at the back, a resolute Everton registered a fourth successive clean sheet; Tim Howard has now not been beaten in six hours 20 minutes of action.

Small wonder the 900 Evertonians who were officially inside the intimate Brann Stadion, not to mention the further hundreds that had also made the journey and managed to snaffle a ticket, pierced the Bergen night sky with cheers on the final whistle.

Such a chilly night in Norway must have felt a world away from the baking heat of Ghana, but it represented a first step for Yakubu to make amends for going AWOL after the Africa Cup of Nations last week.

Fined and dropped from squad that faced Reading on Saturday, the Nigerian was recalled to the starting line-up and produced a quietly effective performance alongside Andrew Johnson in attack.

Recent history favoured Everton last night. Norwegian teams had won only one of their previous 14 European fixtures in the month of February, their efforts undermined by the fact their domestic season closes down between November and March.

Brann’s last competitive fixture was back on December 5, a 1-0 UEFA Cup defeat in Basel that meant they scraped through in third place from Group D.

Everton, one of just two teams to win all four games in the group stage, had played 16 games since then.

And that intense schedule had contributed to a growing injury list for Moyes which was eased slightly when Manuel Fernandes was passed fit after concerns over a groin problem.

By contrast, Brann had prepared for the game with a two-week training camp in sunny La Manga.

Brann coach Mons Ivar Mjelde had been a player when the Norwegians were beaten 4-1 on aggregate against Liverpool in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997, and can expect to fare little better when he returns to Merseyside next week.

The return of a contrite Yakubu in place of the injured Mikel Arteta was the only change from the team that started the 1-0 defeat of Reading as Everton lined up in an adventurous-looking 4-4-2 formation, keen to maintain their record of having scored in every European game this season.

And Yakubu had an immediate chance to ingratiate himself with the Everton support after 33 seconds, but shot weakly at Brann goalkeeper Hakon Opdal from Phil Neville’s throughball.

The visitors dominated the early possession. However, after former Portsmouth forward Azar Karadas nodded over a Jan Gunnar Solli free-kick via a touch off Joseph Yobo’s head in the ninth minute, the Norwegians grew in confidence and capitalised on a lack of balance in the Everton midfield.

Jagielka was alert to nick the ball off the toes of Thorstein Helstad inside the area following Petter Vaagan Moen’s probing pass, and did well shortly afterwards to challenge the Brann striker as he hared down on goal.

Helstad, the Norwegian league’s leading goalscorer last season with 22 goals in 26 games, was the focal point of the Brann attack and would have caused greater danger but for some poor control.

Admittedly, like the rest of the players, Helstad wasn’t helped by a patchy surface that cut up as the game progressed.

Everton’s response was led by Osman, who struck an ambitious shot at Opdal before soliciting a fine parry from the goalkeeper with a curling effort.

For all Brann’s pressure, Howard didn’t have a save of note to make, although the goalkeeper was grateful for a strong defensive block after his punch to clear Moen’s right-wing corner fell at the feet of Kristjan Sigurdsson.

And Howard was beaten on the stroke of half-time but referee Anton Genov correctly adjudged Eirik Bakke to have impeded the goalkeeper as he attempted to force home Solli’s corner at the near post.

Everton increased their intensity after the interval – they had to – and were close to being rewarded for a brighter period when Tim Cahill’s left-foot shot from 22 yards was finger-tipped on to the inside of the post by a sprawling Opdal.

But Moyes’s men were ahead on 59 minutes. With Brann unhappy with a challenge by Cahill, play continued and Johnson played in a cross that was only cleared to the right-hand edge of the penalty area into the path of Osman, who thrashed a first-time shot into the far corner beyond Opdal.

Brann, with left winger Moen the most lively, continued to plug away but Opdal almost gifted Everton a second when he fumbled a hopeful Fernandes pot-shot narrowly wide.

Home substitute Njogu Demba-Nyren forced Howard into his first real save on 82 minutes and, from the resultant Moen corner, the Everton goalkeeper then clutched a Helstad header at the far post.

But the win for Moyes’s side was secured with two minutes remaining when Joleon Lescott delivered a perfect low cross from the left and substitute Anichebe tapped in beyond Opdal.

Everton’s European adventure goes on.