Everton v Birmingham City

What an unbelievable afternoon of football!

Everton deserved to romp to all three points on a day when they totally dominated.

Instead, they somehow found themselves level at 1-1 when the contest entered injury-time. So there was a suitable sense of jubilation when both Lee Carsley and James Vaughan netted in stoppage time to seal a magnificent win.

It was apt that both players derive from the Midlands on an afternoon when Birmingham so nearly produced the most shocking of smash-and-grabs to steal a point.

To add to the delight, the win was Everton's fourth on the bounce - something that has not been achieved in more than 13 years.

The home side had such a strong grip on proceedings it seemed inevitable the early goal from Yakubu would not only secure all three points - but that there would be a glut of further goals added.

Instead, a failure to turn unbelievable dominance into goals seemed to have proved the side's undoing. Birmingham barely ventured into the Everton half during the second period of this Premier League encounter. But somehow they contrived to net an equaliser 11 minutes from time through Olivier Kapo.

Everton played some of the best football they have produced at home this term. Yakubu netted his first Goodison goal and was a significant influence in some of the side's best play.

Leon Osman escapes Sebastian Larsson

So when Carsley produced a magnificent volley a minute into injury-time and substitute James Vaughan popped up moments later to net a third the celebrations inside Goodison were as intense as any seen this term.

Everton set the tone for their play early on. A bright start was almost rewarded in the seventh minute when Yakubu slid in at the near post to connect with a drilled cross from Pienaar but the effort was deflected wide for a corner.

The same duo were involved two minutes later for a beautifully crafted goal. Mikel Arteta was the puppet-master, playing a deft ball through for Pienaar to break into the right side of the penalty area. The South African again found Yakubu with his centre - and this time the Nigerian international didn't fail to open his Goodison account for the Toffees.

Having secured the early advantage - and fully deserved it - there was a sense of disbelief when Olivier Kapo skipped through the Everton defence with ease and forced Tim Howard into an excellent one-handed save on 17 minutes. It was a wake-up call for Everton, who had been totally dominant prior to that point.

The side heeded the call - Tim Cahill sending a header over the bar from a Yakubu cross moments later to illustrate the point.

Yakubu was denied a second by a good stop from Maik Taylor as the half progressed. The keeper was called into action again before the interval to gather a Carsley effort and Cahill fired a scorcher narrowly wide after a neat lay-off from Yakubu.

Phil Neville and Olivier Kapo challenge for the ball

The forward play from Everton was as good as we have seen at Goodison this term - with Yakubu involved in the inter-play far more than before. A key factor was the presence of Cahill providing a bridge between midfield and attack, with Pienaar in particular ensuring Yakubu had a regular sight of the ball.

Yakubu's search for a second continued after the interval - with an effort from a tight angle on 49 minutes the first opportunity that he was unlucky not to convert. Taylor denied on two further occasions. But he wasn't the only player in a blue shirt having a frustrating time in front of goal in the second half.

Cahill had a header saved, Leon Osman was twice denied by brave blocks and Lee Carsley landed an effort on the roof of the net with a bold volley from 30 yards.

But a second goal would not materialise. You had to feel sorry for the fans in the Park End for the second half of this contest - virtually the entire second period was played at the opposite end of the park. By rights, the game should have been over long before the hour mark.

Instead, Everton went into the final 10 minutes on level terms thanks to an Olivier Kapo header in the 79th minute from a rare Birmingham corner.

Moyes made an instant change, replacing Osman with James Vaughan. The 19-year-old had a chance within minutes of arriving, but his effort from a Pienaar cross after great play from Yakubu had instigated the move was deflected behind.

The sense of frustration was growing inside Goodison. And so to net the winner in injury-time was sheer delight!

Carsley had provided a glimpse of what he could do from distance earlier with a volley. This time, from a similar position, he delivered in spades. And it was nthing less than the Toffees deserved. To make it even better James Vaughan netted moments later to secure a thrilling 3-1 win.

Roll on Thursday and the Uefa Cup!

Lee Carsley, the scorer of a magnificent goal