JOLEON LESCOTT reckons Everton have shaken off their over-reliance on Yakubu – and more players chipping in with the goals has been key to their recent resurgence.

The defender had already scored five times this time last season before going on to finish the campaign with 10 and sweep the board in the Player of the Year honours.

But Lescott’s strike at West Ham last Saturday was his first goal of the season, as Everton came away with a 3-1 win despite Yakubu not being in the side.

Last season’s top scorer hit four goals in his club’s first five games of this season but has not found the net since, a barren spell of nine ahead of him missing the trip to Upton Park with a heel injury.

He could return to face his former club Middlesbrough at Goodison Park on Sunday although he faces a fight to reclaim his place following Louis Saha’s run of three goals in two games and the return of Marouane Fellaini from suspension.

However, with confidence growing following a run of three consecutive Premier League wins, Lescott feels the goal-scoring burden can now be shared around the team.

“We are confident in every game really, no matter who is playing,” said Lescott.

“We don’t want to play without Yak – he’s a great striker and we are better when he is in the team – but players like Victor (Anichebe) and Louis (Saha) have come in and done a great job.

“But Tim (Cahill), Mikel (Arteta) and Ossie (Leon Osman) can all get forward and support the strikers.

“I think we relied on the forward players a bit too much early doors to get goals. Now I think everyone is chipping in.

“But it’s not just in terms of goals. We have got Mikel tracking back to work in the final third and that helps. It all goes to breeding confidence.”

Everton suffered badly at the back in the early part of the campaign, conceding 20 in their first 10 games in all competitions.

But since losing to Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates last month, they have only conceded twice in four games – including clean sheets against Bolton and Fulham – in a fruitful run of 10 points out of 12 that has propelled them to seventh in the table.

Lescott has denied that a reluctance to get forward for fear of neglecting his defensive duties has been behind his wait to get off the mark so far this season.

But he does admit that ironing out the mistakes and slowing up the progress of their ‘goals against’ column has always been his priority rather than getting on the scoresheet.

“I don’t tend to think about goals so much,” Lescott admits. “I’m more concerned about the clean sheets.

“We haven’t kept too many of them recently and we have been conscious of that. But the goals just come if you get into the box and that’s what I try to do as much as possible.”