Aston Villa 2-2 Everton: Last-minute Phil Jagielka own goal dents Toffees’ Europa League hopes

Everton’s chances of qualifying for the Europa League look to be over after drawing 2-2 with Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday night.

Tim Cahill scored headed goals in both halves either side of Gabriel Agbonlahor’s equaliser before Phil Jagielka put past his own goalkeeper in second half stoppage time to earn a draw for Martin O’Neill’s side.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill selected the same line-up that started Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, with Richard Dunne and James Milner both recovering from Achilles injuries in time to play.

Everton made just one change from last week’s 2-2 draw at home to West Ham United. Yakubu started in the place of top scorer Louis Saha, while midfielder Mikel Arteta missed out with a groin strain.

It was David Moyes’ side that had the first half-chance of the game. Heitinga’s cross from the right was diverted wide by Warnock to earn Everton a corner, and from the resulting set-piece, Pienaar’s delivery somehow broke to Heitinga after a scramble in the area but the Dutchman’s strike cannoned off Collins before Villa cleared.

Everton had another chance to open the scoring just two minutes later. Osman jinked inside past two Villa defenders but as he shaped to shoot at goal, Collins stopped him in his tracks with an excellent block inside the penalty area. The ball then fell to Bilyaletdinov but his low strike from the edge of the area was just wide.

Villa soon responded with a chance of their own through Downing. The £12 million summer signing cut inside from the right wing past Bilyaletdinov before firing left-footed from 25-yards out towards the bottom right-hand corner but Howard was equal to it and got down well to parry the ball away.

Both sides had chances early on and Milner was next to go close. After a number of Villa passes, the ball fell to Petrov who delivered an excellent cross to Milner at the near post but the England international’s shot from ten yards out was brilliantly tipped wide of the post by Howard.

Osman combined with Bilyaletdinov on the edge of the box before firing towards goal but Friedel pulled off a fine save to push the ball wide for a corner. Bilyaletdinov was involved again moments later, latching onto Cahill’s flick on from Pienaar’s corner, only to fire straight at Friedel from inside the Everton area.

Everton continued to put pressure on the hosts and were rewarded on 23 minutes. Osman was bundled to the ground by Warnock to earn a free-kick for the Toffees and Baines’ inswinging cross from the right picked out Cahill, who escaped his marker Dunne, to head the ball into the far corner from six yards out.

Villa went close to equalising on the half hour through Carew. The Norwegian used his chest to control the ball before excellently spinning past Jagielka in the area and with few players in support, the on-form striker chose to have a shot at goal but could only fire the ball into the side-netting from a narrow angle.

Almost straight from the resulting goal-kick after Carew’s chance, Everton almost doubled their lead. Cuellar failed to deal with a ball into the area and could head clear as far as Bilyaletdinov on the left side of the Villa area, and his driven cross looked certain to be turned in at the far post by Yakubu but the Toffees striker couldn’t quite latch onto the Russian’s cross.

Villa tested Howard on a few occasions in the first-half and brought the best out of Everton goalkeeper as the half drew to a close. Milner held off the challenge of Distin before clipping a right-footed cross to Cuellar at the far post but the Spaniard’s downward header was brilliantly claimed by the USA international.

On the stroke of half-time both sides went close. Yakubu looked to race through on goal but was quickly closed down by Collins and Dunne, who worked well to deny the Nigerian, before Ashley Young was found on the left wing by Milner but his fierce right-footed cross was too powerful and far too over hit for Carew to latch on to.

The second half did not begin well for Everton’s Heitinga. The Dutchman was involved in a collision with Agbonlahor just seconds into the half and had to receive treatment, before having to be replaced by highly-rated youngster Rodwell on 50 minutes.