Everton 3 Manchester United 1:IT IS a "schoolboy error" when a journalist allows a mobile phone to ring in David Moyes's company, but there was only one loaded question to ask when the roles were reversed and the Everton manager scrambled for the silent button on Saturday. "Was that Rooney?"

Moyes dismissed the query as the joke it was intended to be, but the finest compliment to the Scot is that the Manchester United striker had cause for envy on his latest return to Goodison Park.

Emerging young talent, a balanced team, good substitutions and a resolute, organised defence: all the qualities that inspired Everton to a comfortable win were conspicuously absent from the champions on Merseyside.

It was stretching it to extremes to infer Rooney was following up the apology to Moyes for allegations in his autobiography with a request to re-sign for his boyhood club, but the weight of carrying this United team took its toll here.

On Saturday the antagonism towards Rooney was audible, albeit from a minority. Evertonians are moving on, not thanks to the conciliatory noises from their former idol and Moyes towards each other or the passage of time, but because they have reason to look forward. This summer can be a watershed for Everton if they keep their squad intact and add a top-draw forward to share the load with Louis Saha.

But this confirmed they are equipped to prey on the champions’ vulnerabilities now. Moyes dressed up his game plan as tactfully as a respectful admirer of Alex Ferguson would, although the team talk he delivered on Friday evening said everything about the defensive weaknesses that have cost United badly in the title race.

“We had a meeting with the players at the hotel and told them that we were going after Man United and we were going to try and win the game,” said Moyes.

“We always go into games with that approach, but there was an added emphasis this time. It’s because of where we are rather than anything about United. I think mentally we are in that position. This was the right time for us.”

Just how ordinary United can be when their one world-class forward is subdued, and how weak their central defence is without Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, was apparent at Goodison.

“Well beaten,” was Ferguson’s forthright assessment.

Once Moyes had reacted to nullify the threat of Antonio Valencia, the source of Dimitar Berbatov’s opening goal from close range in the 16th minute, Everton’s authority grew around the inspired Leon Osman. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov’s exquisite curler from 25 yards vindicated his manager’s decision to play the left-footed Russian on the right and the pacy Landon Donovan against the creaking Gary Neville on the opposite flank.

The mood at Goodison and the flow of the contest changed irrevocably. With the exception of a late Rooney free-kick that was bound for the top corner until Sylvain Distin intervened, Everton were rarely endangered and it was left to young substitutes Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell to provide the polish.

After Donovan and Steven Pienaar had again prised open United’s right flank, leaving Gary Neville to berate Antonio Valencia for failing to track the South African’s run, Gosling’s fine knack of being in the right place in the penalty area put Everton ahead.

Rodwell then sauntered through an empty midfield in injury time, twisted Jonny Evans inside and out, and stroked a superb finish into the far corner.

Within 10 days Everton have beaten United and Chelsea, coming from behind on both occasions. It is hypothetical to ask where Moyes’s team would be but for the injuries that derailed the first half of this season, but on this form they have nobody above them to fear.

Moyes added: “The club is certainly getting closer to the great days they had here in the 80s, but we know that it’s not just about having a good team and good players, you probably need something else now.

“Unfortunately that’s called cash. But we’re going to do it and a lot of people would like to be in Everton’s position right now and they’d also like to have a chairman like Everton have got, because look at some other clubs who thought that foreign was all the rage. Now it’s back to booking your holidays at home.”

Guardian Service