Everton set sights on Europe

Everton 3-0 Portsmouth:Everton demolished Portsmouth to take a giant step towards a place in next season's Uefa Cup.

A second-half penalty from Mikel Arteta and Joseph Yobo's header three minutes later broke Pompey's resistance, and substitute Gary Naysmith rubbed salt in the wound with an injury-time diving header.

With Bolton and Reading both losing, only freak results on the last day of the season next Sunday will rob Everton of their European destiny thanks to their vastly superior goal difference.

Manager David Moyes saw his side struggle in the first half to make their superiority tell, but a vibrant second period swept Pompey aside.

Everton's last home game of the season ended with the players taking a lap of honour, with various children in tow, to take the acclaim of the Toffees' support.

Andrew Johnson failed a fitness test on his ankle injury so Moyes fielded both his teenage strikers, Victor Anichebe was back from an ankle injury alongside James Vaughan, with James Beattie and James McFadden left on the bench.

Pompey were without Sol Campbell, Dejan Stefanovic, Matty Taylor and Richard Hughes with Sean Davis, Niko Kranjcar and Noe Pamarot coming into the side which beat Liverpool last time out.

Everton showed from the start that they intended to make full use of their willing front pair, with plenty of ammunition aimed from deep for the youngsters to contest.

Portsmouth favoured a passing game, and Kanu found space in a deeper attacking role to ease dangerous passes into Benjani Mwaruwari's feet.

Everton, though, should have been ahead after 16 minutes when Tim Howard's long clearance down-field was headed on by Anichebe for Vaughan to run clear, but from 12 yards he stabbed his effort wide.

Then Phil Neville's deep cross was headed back by Leon Osman, with Vaughan missing his connection with a lunging boot inside the six-yard box.

The nearest Pompey came in the opening half was Linvoy Primus' header just over from a corner by Kranjcar, while Gary O'Neil broke away on the right only to fire wide.

Pamarot was booked for a late challenge trying to contain the physical Anichebe, while Manuel Fernandes was lucky to escape the same fate for hauling back Kanu soon afterwards.

The Portuguese midfielder, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Fratton Park, had a lot of trouble getting into the game against the competitive Davis and O'Neil.

A neat Pompey passing movement ended with a tame shot from Kranjcar which went straight into Howard's hands, while Everton's more direct approach saw Neville's cross nodded back by Vaughan for Anichebe to mis-hit.

Davis got himself booked by referee Howard Webb for dissent a minute after the break, and then Lee Carsley should have scored for Everton when he blasted wide from six yards after Arteta's cross had been turned into his path by Osman.

Then after clever work by Arteta, Neville was able to drill a low cross into the six-yard box, which was somehow missed by Osman from a yard out.

Everton had upped their pace and control, and just before the hour mark they grabbed the lead. Vaughan used his strength to force his way into the box on an angled run, and he was brought down by Glen Johnson, who was booked.

Arteta stepped up to rifle the penalty past David James to send Goodison Park wild.

Arteta then sent Vaughan away again, and his cross-shot - touched crucially by James - was missed by Anichebe at full stretch.

But from the resulting corner by Fernandes, Yobo rose above Djimi Traore to head home.

Two goals in quick succession had put Everton on the brink of a UEFA Cup spot.

Vaughan and Yobo were both booked as the exchanges became increasingly heated, while Arteta almost added a third after bursting from halfway and slipping a shot just wide.

Anichebe was withdrawn after 76 minutes with James McFadden taking over.

Johnson sent a low shot just wide of the post with Portsmouth now desperate to get back into the game.

Arnold Mvuemba, Roudolphe Douala and Lomana LuaLua were all sent on by Portsmouth in quick succession to replace Lauren, Kanu and Kranjcar - but Everton were still the dominant force.

Beattie came on for Vaughan with two minutes left, and in injury-time Naysmith took over from Fernandes.

In injury-time Beattie headed on Arteta's corner and Naysmith dived to head home the third, and Goodison was left to celebrate a second Merseyside club heading for Europe next term.