Brann Diet Suits Moyes As Yakubu Hat-trick Keeps Everton Moving

The statue of David awaits Everton next month and they will commission their own, less aesthetically pleasing version should their manager continue to make light of Uefa Cup opponents until May. Fiorentina await David Moyes in the last 16 after this stroll against Brann and, with Yakubu Ayegbeni back in favor and prolific form, Everton are emerging as contenders for the final in Manchester.

The club's record signing struck a hat-trick against the Norwegian champions on his return after going awl from the African Cup of Nations. Yakubu became the first Everton player since Andy Gray in 1985 to score three in Europe, with Andrew Johnson, twice, and Mikel Arteta, with a deflected strike, completing the rout.

Moyes, still smarting from the rotation that backfired in the FA Cup against Oldham, sought to make Everton's passage as comfortable as possible with recalls for Arteta and Steven Pienaar after injury. His call for a vast improvement on recent performances, however, was not heeded until clinical finishes from Yakubu and Johnson banished any doubts about a place in the last 16.

As in the first leg in Norway, Everton made a careless start and risked punishment on Brann's first attack when a punt forward sent Njogu Demba-Nyren through a pedestrian defence. Lee Carsley stopped the Swedish striker, dragging him to the floor. The Russian referee deemed the challenge legal, to the relief of the Goodison majority and the fury of the visitors.

Brann threatened again, with the impressive midfielder Petter Moen testing Tim Howard at his near post and delivering an inviting free-kick over the defence for the unmarked Thorstein Helstad. A weak finish provided another reprieve for the home side and within a minute they gave Helstad greater cause to rue his miss.

Everton had sorely missed the predatory instincts of Yakubu and a clinical finish swept into the far corner, after a move between Pienaar and Tim Cahill, emphasized his worth. In Yakubu's absence Johnson had not prospered but a low shot into the far corner at the end of a determined run across the Brann area was just reward for a tireless display.

A nonchalant finish from Yakubu and a tap-in after a defensive error sealed his hat-trick, and Brann responded with a goal for Moen from a 30-yard free-kick which Howard should have stopped. Everton, however, cruise on. In injury-time Johnson struck the goal of the night from 25 yards.