Perseverance pays for Radzinski

This match was billed as the battle of the young English strikers, Wayne Rooney and James Beattie, but the day belonged to a Canadian. It took him an awfully long while and a hat-full of chances, but Tomasz Radzinski eventually plundered a late pair of goals to maintain Everton's push for a top-six finish.

Having led for so long thanks to Beattie's first-half strike, Southampton will feel aggrieved that they left Merseyside without at least a point. Radzinski, though, had been a threat all afternoon and was not to be denied. The striker was all smiles as he collected his man of the match award. "It feels great," he said, after scoring the winner deep into injury time. "I missed a few and was getting a bit frustrated, but at least I never gave up and was rewarded in the end."

Following a scrappy opening, Everton's first opportunity was made in North America, as the United States striker Brian McBride released his Canadian companion with an excellent through ball. Radzinski beat the Southampton defence for pace and looked to have carved out a chance, but his cut-back missed two team-mates and was cleared.

Radzinski was soon at it again, this time forcing David Prutton to fell him on the edge of the area. Prutton was booked for his troubles, but Southampton's punishment ended there as Alan Stubbs' free-kick rebounded off the wall. Everton were increasingly dominant but, as has so often been the case this season, lacking a killer instinct.

The same cannot be said of Southampton, and in particular their talismanic striker, who took the one and only chance that came his way during the entire first half. With 32 minutes on the clock, Beattie beat Everton's clumsy attempt at the offside trap and then lifted the ball over the advancing Richard Wright. The England goalkeeper did well to get a touch, but could not stop the lob from finishing in the back of the net. Everton were lucky not to fall further behind on 39 minutes, when Anders Svensson was given the freedom of Goodison Park before unleashing a dipping right-footer that only missed the target by inches.

Moyes is a progressive manager, but he can give a good old-fashioned rollicking too, and after the restart the Everton players set about their comeback mission with far more purpose. Three minutes into the half, Radzinski sprinted down the left flank before sending in a good cross. The Southampton right-back, Paul Telfer, handled the ball, but the referee waved play on. Minutes later, the little Canadian put himself into another great goalscoring position when he ran on to David Unsworth's through ball, but he shot tamely into Antti Niemi's arms.

Despite the growing frustration, Radzinski remained a willing battler for the cause. On 52 minutes, he showed his value to the team when he burst down the right flank, turned inside Danny Higginbotham, and then teed up Gary Naysmith for a shot. The Scotland international forced an excellent save from Niemi to prevent an equaliser.

Everton's inability to score was nearly punished again when Southampton broke swiftly on 55 minutes. Following a neat passing move, Beattie met Fabrice Fernandes' pin-point cross with a splendid right-foot volley, which required all of Wright's agility to keep out. That, though, was that in attacking terms for Southampton, as the visitors were forced back by Moyes' introduction of Kevin Campbell and then the boy wonder.

Having gone close to scoring on 81 minutes, when his right-foot half-volley was somehow beaten away by Niemi, Rooney then demonstrated the full range of his ability by providing the inch-perfect cross for Radzinski's deserved equalising header. The Canadian was not finished there. With eight seconds of the three minutes of added-on time remaining, he latched on to substitute Thomas Gravesen's neat pass, took one touch to set himself up for the shot, and then fired in an unstoppable drive past Niemi at the near post. With 10 games to go, European qualification now beckons.

Everton 2 Southampton 1
Radzinski 83, 90; Beattie 33

Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 36,569