Seamus Coleman scored an unorthodox winner as Everton beat Leeds United 1-0 in a fiery basement battle to move out of the Premier League relegation zone.
The Toffees captain's cross-cum-shot in the 64th minute left Illan Meslier rooted to the spot in a crucial success for Sean Dyche's side, who defended in a manner that their manager would have been extremely proud of.
With both sides knowing the importance of Saturday's game in the relegation dogfight, there was little separating the two teams in a cagey start to the match, although Meslier was on hand to collect a couple of Dwight McNeil crosses as Everton began to force the issue.
Hearts were in mouths just before the half-hour mark when Amadou Onana went down for treatment, but Everton's key lynchpin was able to carry on, and Dyche's side were ruing a couple of missed chances a few minutes later.
James Tarkowski and Neal Maupay both had goal-bound headers blocked by Weston McKennie and Maximilian Wober, and the former was once again denied by a smart reaction save from Meslier in the 39th minute.
As tempers flared between the two basement rivals, Tyler Adams and McNeil squared up for a skirmish in the 44th minute, but Andy Madley kept both players' punishment to a yellow card before the half-time whistle blew.
A purposeful Everton would have been aggrieved to go into the interval at 0-0 - albeit not before a few more words were exchanged between the two sets of players - and Michael Skubala would be forced into a half-time switch, bringing on Rasmus Kristensen for Wober.
Dyche's side were still in the ascendancy at the start of the second half, and while their distinct lack of killer instinct was still bedevilling them, an unlikely source would finally make their dominance count in unlikely circumstances.
With 64 minutes on the clock, Coleman would latch onto a long ball from Alex Iwobi down the right-hand side and advanced into the box, before his cross-cum-shot from an incredibly tight angle caught Meslier out and ended up in the side of the net.
The Whites' goalkeeper's positioning was certainly questionable, but the bouncing Toffees faithful did not care, and the Dyche-led defence kept Leeds at bay approaching the final few moments.
Everton stood firm to make it back-to-back home wins and rise to 16th in the table, and Dyche's men are next in action at home to Aston Villa next Saturday, while Leeds - who are now winless in 10 Premier League games - have dropped to 19th and host 20th-placed Southampton in another pivotal relegation fight next week.
Ben Knapton
