Osman Strike Slices Through the Torpor to Revive Everton Hopes

Victory over Derby County, not defeat in the derby, has delivered true perspective on Everton's Champions League credentials. David Moyes was still contemplating a place among the European elite as Derby's hasty retreat to the Championship was confirmed last weekend and yesterday he proclaimed their scalp an essential shot-in-the-arm. The latter gives a more accurate reflection of Everton's prowess just now.

Moyes' side spent last week at a training camp in southern Spain and though a first league win in four games has improved prospects of a return to Europe next season, their destination remains far from certain. The simplest task of their remaining six games proved a grueling exercise at Goodison Park, Leon Osman's match-winning goal keeping Portsmouth at bay in the contest for fifth place, and Everton can ill-afford their malaise to drag much longer.

"The result was the most important thing today and results at this stage of the season are not as easy to come by as some people think," said the Everton manager. "This could just give us the boost we need." With Birmingham away, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle to come, Moyes must sincerely hope so.

The first half was so devoid of life, memorable only for an incredible miss from Yakubu Ayegbeni, that the half-time debate among the press corps that follows Derby revolved around whether they had witnessed anything worse in a season of one victory and 11 points. An open verdict was recorded.

Yakubu miscued from four yards following a fine delivery across the goalmouth from Leighton Baines and the £11.25m striker's touch did not improve thereafter. He was not alone in his troubles. Everton appeared affronted by Derby's commitment to attack in the opening exchanges, and the worst indictment of their display was that this developed into a contest between two evenly matched teams. Their form has tailed off as sharply as Mikel Arteta's set-pieces of late and only Tim Howard's saves from Mile Sterjovski and Emanuel Villa, the latter when the Argentinian striker was clean through on goal, postponed the inquest.

"We have improved but it's easy to improve when you've been relegated. The pressure's off and you play with less fear," said Paul Jewell, the Derby manager. "We took the game to Everton, moved the ball really well between the boxes, and Everton resorted to long balls in the first half, which suited us."

Lacking invention away at Liverpool is a poor reflection on a team of Everton's ambition, alarming when repeated at home to Derby County. For all Moyes' calls for more investment at Goodison, the visitors were not the club fielding a £20m defence and £20m strike force yesterday. The chorus of jeers that accompanied the home side down the tunnel at the interval supported that view. "We didn't play well today but I don't think the crowd played well either," countered Moyes.

Mercifully for the spectacle and Everton's European aspirations, though not Jewell's designs on a first victory as Derby manager, the tempo and effort improved in the second period although the quality that settled the game remained an isolated incident. The source of Osman's seventh goal of the season was also a surprise, though that is a measure of Manuel Fernandes' second stint at Goodison Park and not the talent the Portuguese midfielder so obviously possesses.

Fernandes brimmed with skill, accuracy and invention during last season's loan spell, even if the £12m price-tag Benfica placed on his braided head seemed exorbitant. Valencia, who eventually paid up and who are trying to offload the 22-year-old, can testify to this. He has returned a different player, error-prone and seemingly disinterested, but a beautifully weighted pass through the Derby defence was an overdue reminder of Fernandes' good side. Osman collected the 30-yard delivery and drove the ball beyond Roy Carroll,

"I think he's got everything in his locker to be a top midfield player, I really do," said Moyes, who has the option to buy the player this summer. (Nevertheless he replaced his creator with Phil Jagielka in this game.) "Overall he's done OK. He's a young player who probably needs to settle down in his career now. He has moved from home to home quite a lot and he needs a bit of love and attention."

There was no love lost between Carroll and Kenny Miller when the Derby goalkeeper conceded a foul inside the Everton area as the visitors chased a stoppage-time equalizer. The pair squared up and agreed to continue their dispute down the tunnel. "Just passion and frustration," insisted Jewell. The latter was in plentiful supply here.

Man of the match Leon Osman

His move into central midfield in the second half finally brought some purpose to Everton's hitherto lackluster display

Best moment The excellent finish that may prove invaluable in Everton's pursuit of European football