Everton may be going for a Burton

It says much about Everton's demise that six months into the season the leading goalscorer at Goodison Park is Manchester United. Yesterday the Merseysiders proved they are capable of finding the net, at least on their travels. But Nick Barmby's solitary effort was not enough to yield precious points in the battle against relegation as Derby staged a spirited comeback, capped by two goals from Deon Burton. With 14 blanks from their previous 23 league matches, and only three goals at home all season (United managed four), the root of Everton's problems is no mystery.

The club coffers are empty and, with key players absent through injuries and suspensions, the manager Walter Smith was forced yesterday to hand the goalscoring initiative to the teenage striker Francis Jeffers, a peripheral figure on his full debut.

For much of this blustery affair it was a case of deja vu as Everton's drastic shortcomings in front of goal were exposed once again. Yet, when Barmby afforded them a 38th-minute advantage, it was the visitors who were producing the more composed football in difficult conditions.

Olivier Dacourt's measured through ball was nudged into Barmby's path by the waif-like Jeffers and the former England player produced a clinical finish from just inside the penalty area. The small band of Everton fans could be excused their over-exuberance - it had been six hours, seven minutes since their last league goal.

Derby emerged with greater purpose after the interval, playing with a verve that was beyond their opponents, and both managers later agreed that Everton's loss of David Unsworth to a calf injury at halftime was a pivotal incident.

Smith said: "When Unsworth went off at half-time, we left ourselves short in the air for all the set-pieces in the second-half. To be honest, Duncan Ferguson was a big help to us defensively at the start of the season.

"That was an area in which I thought we would be vulnerable today and that was how it turned out, though to be fair, it was asking a lot in the second-half once we lost Unsworth."

Burton restored parity in the 51st minute when he arrived at the far post to sweep in a close-range effort from Paulo Wanchope's exquisite right-wing cross. Everton survived a strong penalty appeal when their ageless captain Dave Watson appeared to handle Tony Dorigo's corner and they seemed to have withstood the home pressure until Burton's close-range header five minutes from time.

For Everton, it is now seven league matches since they tasted victory. "I thought we had held on but it was always going to be difficult in the final stages," said Smith. "We just have to make sure we don't allow ourselves to get too deflated."

The joy of Derby's manager Jim Smith was tempered by the fact that Wanchope will be sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the dying seconds. However, in Burton they have a reformed character from the frustrating enigma farmed out to Barnsley on loan earlier this season.

"Since he has been back he has put himself about more and worked a lot harder," his manager said. "That's seven goals in nine starts, so I can't ask any more than that.

"With the way he's scoring, Deon's going to stay in the team. He's the only one who's scoring the goals at the moment.

"He's only 22, so he's only young, but now he's had a taste of success in the Premiership, we hope he'll work hard to become even better."

Derby County: Hoult, Carbonari, Dorigo, Stimac, Prior, Laursen (Powell 76), Eranio, Carsley, Baiano (Harper 76), Burton, Wanchope (Hunt 90). Subs Not Used: Knight, Christie. Booked: Laursen, Powell. Goals: Burton 51, 85.

Everton: Myhre, Ball, Unsworth (Farley 46), Watson, Hutchison, Dacourt, Barmby, Ward, Jeffers, Bakayoko, Dunne. Subs Not Used: Grant, Oster, Jevons, Simonsen. Booked: Dunne, Ward, Dacourt. Goals: Barmby 38.

Referee: G Poll (Tring).