LESS than a fortnight ago, Everton’s players were jumping up and down in delight at a stoppage-time winner for Manchester United.

But in two days’ time, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will be public enemy number one, the massive obstacle in the way of the Goodison Park outfit reaching their first major final in 14 years.

On Sunday, April 5, United’s Premier League fixture with Aston Villa kicked-off at 4pm, an hour after Everton entertained Wigan Athletic at Goodison Park.

Already buoyed by a 4-0 demolition of the Latics – their biggest win of the season which should just about guarantee European football for next term – Everton’s squad toasted their success in the players’ lounge while taking in the latter stages of the game at Old Trafford on television.

With just 10 minutes remaining, fifth-place Villa, who are just a point above Everton in the table looked set to record a shock 2-1 win.

However, a Cristiano Ronaldo equaliser was followed by a sensational last-gasp winner from 17-year-old Italian debutant Federico Macheda.

And man-for-man, it’s fair to say that the cheers at Goodison almost rivalled those 35 miles to the east at a relieved ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

Joleon Lescott, a boyhood Villa fan – whose claims that his affections for the club have long since disappeared can well be believed given the sickening chants dished out towards him by some supporters of the Midlands team at Goodison Park earlier this season – said: “We liked it for two reasons – one, we can catch Aston Villa and two, it can stop Liverpool.

“It was a big thing for us but more of a Liverpool thing for Hibbo (Tony Hibbert) because he is an Everton fan.

“For me personally I wanted United to win for the Villa situation because we want to finish at least fifth.”

Lescott himself had actually left the stadium by the time United snatched their winner but he was soon put in the picture.

He said: “We were all watching it then I got off about five minutes before the end of the game and I got a call in the car sayingŠUnited had just scored in the last minute. I had left and my dad was listening on the radio so he phoned to tell me they had scored and that put a big smile on my face!”

Not every Premier League club’s players would cozily gather around the box to watch a game together these days but such actions display the kind of togetherness – both on and off the field – that has become the trademark of David Moyes’s teams at Everton.

It’s this kind of spirit that has enabled Everton to battle against adversity throughout the season and not only maintain a place in the top six but battle through to become the first Merseyside club to play at the new Wembley Stadium – despite being without a recognised striker for considerable chunks of the campaign.