Everton intensified their quest for European football with a hard-fought victory at Blackburn thanks to Tim Cahill’s 90th-minute winner. Three times the visitors took the lead and they became only the second team to defeat Blackburn at Ewood Park in a league game since the opening day of the season.

Victory for David Moyes’ team narrows the gap to rivals Aston Villa, occupiers of the final Europa Cup place, to a single point for a few hours at least after spectacular strikes from Steven Nzonzi and Jason Roberts twice pegged them back.

In terms of recent form this was a case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object but the entrance of substitute Yakubu Ayegbeni a dozen minutes from the end proved crucial. First, he nodded in with his first touch and then squared for Cahill to guide in from a couple of yards.

This pair have been two of the form teams in the Premier League’s final straight – Blackburn holding title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United here recently and loath to give up a record of just one defeat in 16 without a predictable scrap. Everton, catalysed by fresh legs since the turn of the year, were on a run of just two league reverses in 20 coming into this contest.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce waxed lyrical about the miserliness of his side’s defence in his programme notes. Half-a-dozen clean sheets in their previous 11 matches and indeed three in a row were, he reasoned, the blueprint for Rovers’ rise from the lower reaches of the table.

Yet they were breached with less than 300 seconds on the clock, after the indefatigable Cahill took down Diniyar Bilyaletdinov’s cross in the area, evaded one challenge from Gaël Givet and lost his legs to another from the recalled Ryan Nelsen. Mikel Arteta, hors de combat for such a long stretch of the season, rolled the ball in from the penalty spot to galvanise his side’s pursuit of seventh place.

Everton appeared on course to emulate the achievements of Manchester City and Tottenham here this season until, with 20 minutes remaining, Nzonzi unleashed a firecracker of a shot from fully 30 yards which fizzed across Tim Howard and into the roof of the net.

Moyes threw on Yakubu as a second striker and was rewarded when the striker glanced in fellow substitute Victor Anichebe’s flick-on and then set up Cahill’s decisive intervention. Another replacement Roberts had appeared to have ended Everton’s pursuit of seventh when he volleyed in on the run nine minutes from time.

Premier LeagueBlackburn RoversEvertonguardian.co.uk

Everton, the best-run club outside the top four, offer lessons that could be heeded at Eastlands

Just like every Manchester City supporter canvassed on the subject by Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour on Friday, this column was unaware the club enjoys the distinction of being the only one in the Premier League with a female founder. The daughter of a Gorton vicar, Anna Connell, was so distressed at the amount of time and money young men of the parish were wasting in the pub that in 1880 she formed a sports club to provide a healthier and more constructive alternative.

City’s present owners doubtless have some empathy with those wholesome Victorian values, yet on Wednesday against Everton it looked as though the club’s 130-year history had turned full circle. City are now driving their supporters to drink, arguably more so than ever because the stakes are so high. Judging by the rapidity with which the Eastlands stadium began to empty when Mikel Arteta scored a second goal for the club that began life as St

If brilliance has a drawback, it lies in the sense of anti-climax when exalted standards are not met. Wolves produced arguably their outstanding result and performance of the campaign in winning at West Ham last Tuesday; Everton excelled in defeating Manchester City 24 hours later. With neither capable of replicating that display, a creditable result for both clubs nonetheless appeared underwhelming.

As two sides managed by former central defenders proved resolute enough to keep a clean sheet, they were respectable rather than remarkable. Unbeaten runs were extended – Everton have now been defeated just twice in 18 games while Wolves’ past four matches have yielded 18 points – but perspiration was in greater supply than inspiration.

Nevertheless, Everton’s confidence was apparent in the construction of several moves of high class. After five minutes, the Wolves defence were exquisitely unlocked. Steven Pienaar, switched from the left flank to the right by manager David Moyes, combined with Louis Saha, collecting the Frenchman’s return pass to accelerate into the penalty area. Rather than shooting, he took the unselfish option and squared the ball for Leon Osman. His low shot was superbly saved by Marcus Hahnemann.

The American was also alert to hold shots from Osman, Saha and Leighton Baines. When he was beaten, Saha’s superb shot left the woodwork reverberating as it clipped the bar on its way over. The striker had taken Baines’s diagonal ball on his chest before unleashing a fearsome drive. It was another indication of the influence of the left-back, who was being watched by Fabio Capello.

Everton continued to press. Saha propelled himself through the air to meet Osman’s cross, but headed it over the bar; Tim Cahill met Baines’s corner but his glancing header went the wrong side of the post. In the last minute, Cahill headed the ball into the path of substitute Dan Gosling and Hahnemann made a second vital stop. In added time, Cahill’s improvised overhead kick was cleared off the line by Jody Craddock.

Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersEvertonRichard Jollyguardian.co.uk