Carew puts Villa in Euro zone

THEY will probably be complaining about the extra workload and inconvenience of having to play on a Thursday night by the time they reach the group stages in the autumn.

But if competing in the Uefa Cup is the burden that many Premier League managers portray it to be, this game suggested that neither David Moyes nor Martin O'Neill regards European football as a poisoned chalice.

With only one European place available via the league, this meeting between the only two teams likely to claim it had the feel of an eliminator, but without a knock-out blow being delivered by either team, this race could ultimately be another that goes to the final day of the season.

“We have two difficult games left to play, but Everton have two tough ones as well,” O’Neill, the Villa manager, said. “However, they are three points clear with two games to go and that is the sort of position that I would like to be in.”

Everton might be in pole position, but they are stumbling towards the finishing line. Moyes' team have shown signs of fatigue in recent weeks, collecting just five points from their last six Premier League games, but Villa could not take advantage of the home side's lethargy.

Villa looked the stronger, fresher team, but Everton found an extra reserve of energy in the second-half following a dreary first-half as they chased victory and the breakthrough came on 55 minutes when Phil Neville put Everton ahead following good work by Yakubu down the left flank.

Yakubu broke free after latching onto Leon Osman's pass and his pull-back picked out Neville on the far edge of the penalty area. The defender was left with a difficult chance, but his powerful right foot shot beat goalkeeper Scott Carson via a deflection off the chest of defender Martin Laursen.

With his team facing a six-point deficit on Everton with just two games to play, however, O'Neill went for broke by replacing defenders Wilfred Bouma and Zat Knight with forwards Marlon Harewood and Patrik Berger and the gamble paid off when Gabriel Agbonlahor snatched an equaliser from close range on 80 minutes.

Everton regained the lead four minutes later when the Villa defence lost concentration at the far post to allow Yobo to volley Lee Carsley's cross into the roof of the net.

Goodison erupted, but the home fans were still celebrating when Carew netted Villa's second equaliser less then 60 seconds later with a pinpoint header from Barry's cross. The European ticket was practically in Everton's grasp, but Moyes's weary players must now push again and the manager admitted that this was a lost opportunity.

He said: “We are three points clear with two games to go. I don't know whether we will need to get something at Arsenal next Sunday to be sure, but if we had won this game, we could probably have secured fifth place.

“If you saw any of our Uefa Cup games this season, then you will know that playing in Europe means an awful lot to this club.

“We had a great run in the competition this year, losing just once in ten games. We feel we were a bit unfortunate not to go further down the road, so we want to get back there and put that right next season.”

EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard 7, Neville 7, Jagielka 6, Yobo 7, Lescott 6, Pienaar 6, Osman 7, Carsley 8, Fernandes 6 (Arteta 65, 6), Johnson 5 (Anichebe 83, 6), Yakubu 7.

Subs Not Used: Wessels, Hibbert, Baines.

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Carson 6, Mellberg 6, Laursen 6, Knight 6 (Berger 75, 6), Bouma 6 (Harewood 78, 6), Young 7, Reo-Coker 6, Petrov 7, Barry 7, Agbonlahor 6, Carew 6.

Subs Not Used: Taylor, Salifou, Routledge.

REFEREE: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 7: Did well in difficult conditions, with players from both sides struggling to keep their feet on the wet pitch.

MATCH RATING: **** The game wasn't helped by the slippery conditions or the pressure on both teams to get a result for their European ambitions, but it came to life in a dramatic final 20 minutes.