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Rooney keeps Europe firmly on the horizon

Everton 2 Aston Villa 1

Guy Hodgson
Sunday 27 April 2003 00:00 BST
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The saga that is the young life of Wayne Rooney took another headline-provoking twist yesterday when the 17-year-old resuscitated Everton's hopes of playing in Europe next season. In a week when he had police investigating his alleged misdemeanours, he kept his club within spitting distance of the Uefa Cup places with virtually the last kick of the match.

Dull and weary-looking, Everton seemed to be about to gain what they deserved, a draw, when the match went into stoppage time and Dion Dublin cleared the umpteenth hoof in the direction of Duncan Ferguson. However, waiting on the left-hand corner of the area was the Boy Wonder and, from a narrow angle and with Villa defenders bearing down on him, he drilled the ball into the near post. He does not do the mundane.

"It was one of those days when some of the things he did inspired us," said the Everton manager, David Moyes, "and in some of the things I could see a boy who needs to put his feet up a bit more. We had a decision, 'do we keep him on; do we take him off?' But we always thought he was capable of doing something. He scored a great goal today."

Rooney's late intervention did wonders for Everton, who went into this match on the back of two defeats and with their European dream fading. Villa, by contrast, were basking in a five-match unbeaten run, although there was nothing in the opening minutes to suggest that sequence had been built on defensive solidity.

Within 15 seconds Lee Carsley was thumping a volley goalwards and was perhaps unfortunate it went straight to Peter Enckelman, and after four minutes Rooney was using his pace to leave Olof Mellberg and Ronny Johnsen trailing in pursuit of Kevin Campbell's flick. Such has been the prodigy's Boy's Own story to date you expected the ball to be billowing in the back of the net and it was a surprise when he dragged his shot limply wide.

He had another opportunity after 35 minutes when Thomas Gravesen pierced the Villa defence with his pass, Enckelman saved at the feet of Campbell and Rooney was left facing a difficult shot from a narrow angle. Again the anticipation that surged through Goodison was in vain because his effort curled over the bar.

The only notable thing about Villa in the first half had been their habit of picking up injuries but, to everyone's surprise, they seemed to thrive on adversity and were ahead within four minutes of the restart. Joey Gudjonsson crossed from the right, Dublin got just enough of a touch to distract the Everton defence and Marcus Allback, all alone at the back, volleyed past Richard Wright.

It is a barometer these days of how things are going for Everton when they have to resort to Duncan Ferguson but, to give the towering Scotsman his due, his arrival on the pitch did bring some home impetus and after 59 minutes they equalised.

Gary Naysmith played a short corner, took the return from Gravesen, and when he fired in his cross Campbell had lost his markers completely. There are few more intimidating figures in the Premiership when he throws himself into a header and he powered this one in from a range of four yards.

Two desperate blocks by Enckelman and Jlloyd Samuel denied Ferguson and Rooney after 76 minutes but at the other end Villa had claims for a penalty when Rooney took it into his head to play at left-back and performed a striker's tackle on Samuel.

Goodison drew its breath. Was Rooney, whom the police exonerated after complaints that he had spat at Liverpool supporters during last week's Merseyside derby, going to be the villain? The referee decided no, and fate lent a hand in stoppage time.

Everton 2
Campbell 59, Rooney 90

Aston Villa 1
Allback 49

Half-time 0-0 Attendance: 40,167

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