Premiership: Moyes' Everton gain first away win of season

Derby 3 Everton 4

David Moyes’ influence at Everton helped inspire the Merseyside club to their first Premiership away victory since the opening day of the season - but it was not without drama.

Moyes has clearly had a profound effect at Goodison Park since taking over from Walter Smith eight days ago, riding in like the cavalry to aid Everton’s fight against relegation.

For Moyes, the perfect start to his Goodison Park reign continued at Derby as the Toffees produced their most important result of the season, one which should mean they will be spared Nationwide League football come August.

Six draws and seven defeats had followed that curtain-raising success at Charlton, but that was forgotten as Everton followed up last Saturday’s win over Fulham with a thrilling triumph at Pride Park.

For the opening 55 minutes, the Rams chose to produce their worst football since manager John Gregory’s arrival at the start of last month, but by the final whistle Everton were clinging on for dear life.

Everton led 3-0 and 4-1 during the second half, with Moyes wearing the look of a relieved man when referee Neale Barry finally called time on the entertainment, with Derby’s late rally proving to be in vain.

The second half could not have been in greater contrast to the first, which was notable only for David Unsworth’s exhilarating 37th minute finish which lit up the initial gloom at Pride Park.

In fact, Gregory was more entertaining than anything witnessed on the pitch as the Derby boss returned to the touchline following his recently-imposed three-game exile.

Gregory had been forced to sit in the stands for the previous three matches against Manchester United, Arsenal and Bolton after being found guilty of abusing linesman Ray Gould in a Boxing Day home defeat to Liverpool while manager at Aston Villa.

The most animated manager in British football was like a jack-in-the-box throughout the match as he attempted to kick every ball and roll every tackle.

Inside the opening four minutes Gregory was leaping over the rail which guards the dugout to protest an Unsworth block on Giorgi Kinkladze, but to no avail as referee Barry waved play on.

But it was the first of many athletic moments from the track-suited Gregory, who coaxed and cajoled in his usual inimitable manner, but ultimately without reward.

Gregory was not alone, though, in using the technical area to its limit as Moyes is hardly the shy and retiring type, with his presence having had a galvanising effect on Everton.

When Unsworth cracked the opener, despatching a sweet left-foot drive from the edge of the area beyond third-choice goalkeeper Patrick Foletti, virtually the entire team raced to the Everton bench to celebrate with the ecstatic Moyes.

But the nerves were apparent in that first period as both teams looked stifled by the threat of relegation, although inside the opening 10 minutes after the restart, Everton were a team reborn.

Luciano Zavagno’s handball four yards outside his own area in the 51st minute allowed Alan Stubbs to crack a thunderous free-kick beyond the helpless Foletti, who was beaten again less than three minutes later.

With both Mart Poom and Michael Oakes sidelined with finger injuries, the latter sustained in training yesterday, Foletti on loan until the end of the season from Lucerne was given his first start by Gregory.

But the 28-year-old, with an English mother and Swiss father, could only help a close-range, sidefoot shot from Niclas Alexandersson on its way into the net after Duncan Ferguson had initially sliced Tomasz Radzinski’s left-wing cross.

Gregory made an immediate substitution, with Branko Strupar replacing Zavagno and it was a move which reaped instant reward for within minutes the Belgium international had spectacularly volleyed the Rams back into the game.

The match then appeared over as a contest in the 71st minute when Derby’s defence again parted with ease to allow Ferguson to pick his spot from 12 yards.

It was the Scot’s sixth goal of the season and came courtesy of a pull back from Alexandersson, who had replaced former Derby star and knee-injury victim Lee Carsley in the 29th minute.

When Derby pulled another goal back in the 76th minute, with Lee Morris hooking home Chris Riggott’s downward header, it looked nothing more than a consolation.

But five minutes later Strupar scored the goal of the game, throwing himself at a Rob Lee cross to power a diving header past Steve Simonsen.

But the grandstand finish from Derby never materialised as they failed to conjure another worthy chance, even in the five minutes of injury time, leaving their survival hopes back on the ropes just seven days after their magnificent win at Bolton.