Aston Villa 2-0 Everton

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor's liking for Everton continued as he grabbed the decisive second goal in the Barclays Premier League clash with David Moyes' side.

The England Under-21 player had scored on his Villa debut against the Toffees 18 months ago and then netted the equaliser in last season's corresponding game at Villa Park.

This time he doubled Villa's lead after 62 minutes, after John Carew's first half opener - his first domestic goal of the campaign - had put them on the way to a 2-0 win.

• O'Neill praises Agbonlahor

Martin O'Neill would have been pleased with the response of his players after Villa's poor performance at Manchester City a week ago.

It was not in the same class as their win over Chelsea on the same ground three weeks ago but was still achieved with relative ease against the Merseysiders.

Everton never moved out of second gear and appeared to be suffering a hangover from their disappointing midweek result against Metalist Kharkiv in the UEFA Cup, when Andrew Johnson missed two penalties.

Moyes made three changes, including leaving out £11million summer capture Ayegbeni Yakubu, but the visitors seldom posed a threat to the Villa defence.

The only downside for Villa was seeing Carew, who had defied a groin injury to play in recent weeks, limping out of the action early in the second period.

Villa did not fire on all cylinders but the pace of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, the power of Carew before he was injured, the midfield guile of Gareth Barry and Nigel Reo-Coker and the defensive strength of Martin Laursen gave them the edge.

Predictably Everton's former Birmingham striker Andrew Johnson, without a goal for six months, was booed every time he touched the ball - and he seldom looked like ending that barren sequence despite a hard-working display.

Young attempted the first effort on goal for Villa but his 25 yard drive set the tone for a generally mediocre first half as it flew high and wide.

But after 13 minutes Villa broke the deadlock through John Carew's first goal of the campaign.

Wilfred Bouma's left-wing cross was headed straight up in the air by Joseph Yobo and then Leighton Baines only succeeded in clearing the ball straight to Carew, who steadied himself before firing a low shot past Stefan Wessels.

Agbonlahor had the ball in the net again four minutes later but Young's cross was adjudged to have curled out of play before finding his England Under-21 team-mate.

Johnson made a telling break down the right flank after Jagielka's pass over the top of the Villa defence but his low centre was cut out by Scott Carson who was being watched by England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence.

Johnson's trickery won him a free-kick just outside the Villa box after being upended by Zat Knight but Leon Osman crashed his low shot straight into the Villa defensive wall.

The Everton midfielder would also have been disappointed to curl a cross straight at Carson after taking up a good position wide right.

In first half injury-time Tony Hibbert came to Everton's rescue when he cleared Agbonlahor's header off the line after Wessels had failed to deal with an Ashley Young corner.

Reo-Coker presented Everton with a chance early in the second half to get back on level terms when he brought down Phil Jagielka on the edge of the Villa box.

Up stepped Johnson to curl the free-kick around the defensive wall - but Carson was alert to the situation and had his body right behind the shot.

Johnson had his first clear-cut chance after 52 minutes but he mishit his shot just past the post from a knockdown by Victor Anichebe.

Martin O'Neill was forced to make a change after 52 minutes when Carew limped out of the action to be replaced by Craig Gardner.

It led to Agbonlahor being pushed up front - and after 62 minutes he showed great control to double Villa's lead with his third goal in four matches against Everton.

Carson's long clearance over the Everton defence was brought down with one touch by Agbonlahor - and his second slid the ball wide of the dive of Wessels.

It was his second strike of the season after also netting in Villa's previous home game - the win over Chelsea three weeks ago.

Moyes brought on Yakubu for the final 20 minutes but Everton never threatened to force their way back into the match. • O'Neill praises Agbonlahor

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill hailed the continuing emergence of Gabriel Agbonlahor as a major force after he was again a chief thorn in Everton's side.

Agbonlahor took his tally against the Merseysiders to three goals in four games with the decisive second after 62 minutes in a 2-0 home win.

He showed his growing maturity with superb control and awareness before slotting the ball past the despairing dive of Everton goalkeeper Stefan Wessels.

O'Neill said: 'Gabby's goal was fantastic. It came from a great touch. It showed just how much he has progressed.

'He is getting stronger. In training he is lethal.

'He wants to play centre-forward but he has also done a job for us out wide and still managed to get a couple of goals when out there.

'I'm very pleased with him and he is determined to build on the form he showed last season.'

O'Neill also backed Agbonlahor, who was involved in a verbal spat with his team-mate Marlon Harewood at the final whistle.

Harewood was incensed that Agbonlahor chose to try to run down the clock rather than attempt to play him in behind the Everton defence in the closing seconds of the game.

O'Neill said: 'I see it from Gabby's view because there are two minutes to go and we are 2-0 up. Why give the ball away?

'That's what we were taught years ago and if you do that you put yourself under pressure.

'I can understand the centre forward's thinking that he might be in with a chance of a goal but Gabby made the right decision and things are fine between them.'

The major downside for O'Neill was a suspected knee ligament injury to striker John Carew after he had scored the opening goal - his first for Villa this season.

Carew will have a scan tomorrow to determine the extent of his injury but O'Neill admitted: 'It doesn't look great and it's a shame for John.

'The goal had given him a big boost in terms of confidence. Centre-forwards say they are happy doing work outside the area but scoring goals is the most important thing for them.

'John was very strong and when he got that goal he was even stronger. We just hope he isn't out for too long.'

Everton boss David Moyes admitted his side were second best and had no complaints about the final outcome.

He said: 'We played better than recently but it was powderpuff stuff. I have no complaints about the result.

'We passed the ball better than Villa and created more today than we have done recently - but the defending for the two goals was terrible.

'Villa got their goals from a cross and a scramble and another one which may have been offside. There are a couple of players not playing as well as they should be.

'But let's put things into perspective. It's the first time for a long time that we have conceded more than one goal in a game away from home.'