Cahill brace earns Toffees some breathing space

Everton 3 Charlton 1

Tim Cahill has found his scoring form at last to haul Everton away from imminent danger.

Before Saturday’s victory at Sunderland, and Cahill’s injury-time winner, the Australian had not found the net all season – despite fnishing as top scorer with 11 last term.

But today he made it three goals in three days with two headers, and was unlucky to miss out on a hat-trick.

He had a goal disallowed and then hit a crashing drive against a post in injury time, but by then Everton had done enough to secure back-to-back victories which ease the pressure on boss David Moyes.

Some fans had been calling for Moyes to go after Everton lost four matches in succession, but today at Goodison Park their spark return and the manager saw his players score three goals in a league match for the first time this season.

James Beattie drilled home the first, collecting the rebound after seeing a penalty saved, and although Matt Holland equalised, Everton powered their way to a deserved victory.

Duncan Ferguson, who has been considering retirement because of the wear and tear of a long career, captained the side and received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the closing minutes – fans no doubt wondering how often they will see their cult hero in the future.

Everton were without Simon Davies, who failed to recover from a groin injury sustained in the 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday. David Weir and James McFadden were rested to the bench, with Mikel Arteta returning after suspension and Matteo Ferrari and Ferguson restored to the starting line-up.

Charlton saw Danny Murphy return after a ban which kept him out of the weekend win against West Ham.

They began briskly and Darren Bent cut in from the left to fire a shot that Nigel Martyn held comfortably.

But Arteta had been equally inventive with clever passes before he started the move which ended with Everton taking the lead.

His pass to Leon Osman was swiftly fed into the path of Kevin Kilbane, and as the winger surged into the box he was manhandled to the ground by Dennis Rommedahl.

Referee Uriah Rennie yellow-carded the Dane before Beattie stepped up on seven minutes to take the penalty.

His effort was too close to Thomas Myhre, who palmed the ball away, only for Beattie to follow up and save face with a deadly finish.

The last lasted only 10 minutes however.

Luke Young swung in a cross from the right and Shaun Bartlett got a flick under pressure from Kilbane.

The ball dropped on the edge of the box from where Holland lashed a low shot wide of Martyn.

Ferguson went close with an overhead kick while Bartlett at the other end saw a fierce volley blocked by Nuno Valente.

Everton came even closer when Osman fired over a cross from the right, which was met by Kilbane at pace and he powered a header against a post.

And the home side were ahead again on 41 minutes after Jonathan Fortune was penalised for a foul on Ferguson, 30 yards out.

The Charlton defence were caught cold by a quick chip by Arteta, with Cahill charging in from the left with Young the only man to react.

But he could not get to the ball quickly enough to stop Cahill powering a header in off the underside of the bar.

Everton went further ahead on 58 minutes, again from a set-piece and again with Cahill on the end of it.

Arteta’s delivery arrowed in from the left and Cahill got above a bunch of players to send a downward header wide of Myhre for Everton’s third.

Joseph Yobo’s indecision seven minutes later almost gave Charlton a route back into the game.

His slack pass back to Martyn forced the goalkeeper to snatch at a clearance on the edge of his area.

That sent the ball only as far as Bartlett, who lifted a 30-yard shot just over the bar.

Cahill thought he had got a third after 75 minutes, lashing in from close range, but referee Rennie disallowed the effort because of a holding infringement, which on TV replays was not visible.

Then Charlton sent on Kevin Lisbie for Rommedahl, and they almost pulled one back a minute later, Fortune seeing a close-range header hit a post and rebound off Martyn’s chest to safety.

Ambrose headed over unmarked from just six yards and then forced Martyn into a diving save seconds later.

Marcus Bent replaced Ferguson with three minutes left, before Cahill came closer still to a treble in the dying stages.