Cahill's brace sees Everton continue their resurgence

Everton 3 Charlton 1Everton continued their resurgence yesterday as Tim Cahill scored two goals, had another disallowed and hit the post in injury-time. It was a barnstorming performance that will have his manager, David Moyes, believing his side are good enough to start putting pressure on the teams above them.

This was the first time since they beat Crystal Palace 4-0 last April that Everton have scored three goals in a game. It ensured they started the new year with back-to-back victories and a rediscovered feeling of optimism.

It has not been hard to identify Everton's problems. They went into the game having scored 11 goals in 20 league games. Considering Cahill, who hit the winner against Sunderland to open his account on Saturday, weighed in with 11 alone last season, it has been clear his knack of coming up with vital goals has been sorely missed.

"His goals last season were really vital and if he can go on another run that will really help us," said Moyes.

Everton started with Duncan Ferguson in their line-up for the first time since November and the gamble paid off, the big Scottish striker galvanising his side as they went into a ninth-minute lead. Leon Osman picked out Kevin Kilbane's run into the far side of the area and his marker Dennis Rommedahl panicked, pulled him down and was lucky to escape with just a booking.

James Beattie's penalty was saved by the former Everton goalkeeper Thomas Myhre but he only succeeded in pushing the ball back to Beattie who gratefully tapped it home.

The home side were still trying to find their rhythm when Danny Murphy, returning for Charlton after suspension, took a short free-kick to the right where Luke Young was given too much time to cross and Matt Holland volleyed in Shaun Bartlett's header.

Gradually Everton began to get a grip of the midfield. Kilbane continued his explosive start by crashing a header against the post, then four minutes before half-time Cahill struck. Fortune was penalised for holding on to Ferguson and as the players stood around and argued, Arteta's quick free-kick found Cahill running in behind Young and his header went in off the bar.

"The turning point of the game," was how Charlton's manager Alan Curbishley described it.

In the 59th minute Cahill scored again, outjumping a sluggish Charlton defence to head another Arteta free-kick past Myhre. Cahill was not finished yet. In the 75th minute he was in at the end of a penalty area scramble but Uriah Rennie disallowed the goal for reasons unclear, although the referee had told him it was for a pull.

Cahill later hit the angle of post and crossbar in the dying seconds.

EVERTON: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Ferrari, Nuno Valente, Osman, Arteta, Cahill, Kilbane, Beattie, Ferguson (Bent 88). Subs not used: Wright, Naysmith, Weir, McFadden.Goals: Beattie 9, Cahill 41, 59.

CHARLTON: Myhre, Young, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Powell, Rommedahl (Lisbie 76), Holland, Hughes (Ambrose 67), Murphy (Kishishev 67), Bent, Bartlett. Subs not used: Andersen, Spector. Booked: Rommedahl, Bent. Goal: Holland 18.

Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).