Fiorentina Take Penalty Prize After Yakubu and Jagielka Fluff Lines

Everton have broken new ground in Europe under David Moyes this season but they broke under the weight of an old foe last night, losing a penalty shoot-out to Fiorentina when they had a stirring Uefa Cup comeback within their grasp.

Moyes' side delivered arguably their finest display of the campaign to overturn the Italians' first-leg lead. Trailing by two goals they passed and harried La Viola into submission to level the tie through Andrew Johnson and Mikel Arteta, but a club that mirrors England's prowess from 12 yards were left cursing failure to find the coup de grace once again.

Yakubu Ayegbeni and Phil Jagielka were the undeserving villains of an undeserved exit, the former striking a post and the defender drawing a fine save from Sébastien Frey as the Italians scraped through.

Arteta's outstanding equalizer was the least Everton deserved on a raucous night, although all in royal blue shone with Tim Howard and Jagielka providing the platform for the recovery. Both were resilient in defence and given the chances created on the night, Yakubu heading inches wide in stoppage time, they should have sealed a quarter-final place in normal time.

Only once in their history had Everton overturned a deficit in cup competition, and that was against Rotherham in the 1993 League Cup, yet there was confidence for this challenge before a ball had been kicked. Fiorentina were fully deserving of their victory last week but their opponents had delivered their worst display in months, and the optimist's logic was that Moyes' side could not fare worse at Goodison. They had a point.

Everton had no option other than to commit to attack. Cagey, defensive football and the fear of conceding the away goal that would kill the tie was an afterthought, and the urgency suited a frenzied home side and crowd, visibly unsettling the Italians in the process.

Aside from their capacity to send raking passes into touch this was a fine Everton display, with Johnson and Arteta constant thorns in a desperate Fiorentina defence who wanted - but did not receive - time on the ball. The ease with which Moyes's side dragged themselves back into the tie was still a surprise, however.

The Spanish midfielder picked out Leon Osman with a short free-kick, a constant source of promise for Everton, who in turn released Steven Pienaar on the left. A vicious cross from the South African caused pandemonium inside the area and when both Yakubu and Frey missed the flight of the delivery, the ball struck Johnson on his chest before crossing the line.

Goodison's confidence soared and but for Frey redeeming himself in the Fiorentina goal, they would have transformed the contest before the interval. The French keeper denied Arteta from a free-kick, Osman after Johnson had dived for a penalty and made an outstanding low stop from Yakubu as the pressure remained incessant. Everton were also responsible for not profiting further on the initiative, with Arteta blazing wide at the back post, Johnson and finally Jagielka heading over set pieces that were delivered with precision by the Spaniard.

The introduction of the first man to score at the new Wembley, the Italian Under-21 striker Giampaolo Pazzini for the veteran Christian Vieri, brought more pace to a previously anonymous Fiorentina attack in the second half but Everton continued to flourish.

Despite some erratic deliveries Arteta remained the side's reliable supply and two corners shortly after the restart almost pulled Everton level only for the left-back Manuel Pasqual to clear in front of his back post and Tomas Ujfalusi to escape with a handball from the second.

Deserved parity was worth the wait when it arrived, however. The tireless Yakubu released Arteta deep inside the Italian half and the Spaniard must have been astonished at the space that opened up. Seizing on the invitation he strode forward and unleashed a superb drive across Frey and into the bottom corner. A fourth goal of the season is a poor return for someone of Arteta's talent, although Goodison was in no mood for complaint.

However, a night of relentless endeavor would have been fatally undermined but for a stunning save from Howard to deny Pazzini's glancing header.