Rooney salvages points against Villa

Everton 2, Aston Villa 1

Wayne Rooney may well have salvaged Everton’s place in Europe with an injury-time winner at Goodison Park.

Aston Villa had led at the break through Marcus Allback, but it looked for a long time that only Kevin Campbell’s equaliser would beat Peter Enckelman – that is until Rooney’s injury-time winner.

Campbell set up Ferguson with a 79th-minute chest-down, but the big Scot’s hooked volley was held low to his left by Enckelman.

At the other end Wright fingertipped over a Dublin header from a corner. Whittingham then saw a 35-yard free-kick held by Wright before Vassell was booked on 85 minutes for a foul on Naysmith.

Everton then brought on youngster Leon Osman for Watson with two minutes left.

And in injury time Rooney struck the winner with a sweet volley from the edge of the box after a Stubbs free-kick had been headed out to him on the edge of the box.

Scot Gemmill came on as substitute for the youngster before the restart.