Vaughan on the way to ending nightmare

Such a catalogue of medical misfortune since becoming the Premier League's youngest goalscorer at 16 years and 271 days may have taken its toll physically. Mentally, it hasn't even scratched the surface.

He is still intent on extending an already lengthy list of celebrated Everton centre forwards and will take some stopping, judging by the way he marked his first Premier League appearance of the season by rounding off a 3-1 win over Birmingham with a goal.

Sent on for the last 10 minutes with Birmingham threatening to deny Everton their due reward after an equaliser against the run of play, Vaughan soon showed that his pace and power have survived all the injury ravages as he held off his marker before steering a composed finish beyond goalkeeper Maik Taylor.

It was precisely the response Everton manager David Moyes expected as he reflected on the latest rehabilitation and described how his teenage marksman will continue to put his battered frame on the line to fulfil his dream of becoming a Goodison great.

Moyes said: "He has become used to injuries, unfortunately, and it does get him down at times. But he is a conscientious boy and he wants it so badly. In this day and age, you want to see people so desperate to play and he is a bit of a throwback in that respect.

"He won't shirk anything and won't be intimidated, you can be sure of that. He will battle it out with the best if he has to and that gives us a different option up front.

"There won't be many centre halves who will look forward to playing against James once we get him in the condition he should be in.

"There are things missing and, because he has missed a good chunk of his early development in terms of technical stuff, he still has work to do. But not only is his attitude infectious, he works hard and is as game as anyone. He has all that in abundance.

"It might take a month to get all the rustiness off him but I think he is good enough to force his way in and stay there. He is going to be a good player for us."

After going ahead through Ayegbeni Yakubu in the 10th minute, Everton should have sent their goal difference into overdrive against an ineffective Birmingham side. The visitors did little to counter the growing belief that, as well as being enriched by foreign flair, our game is overloaded with overseas mediocrity.

A spate of wasted chances looked like proving costly for Everton when Olivier Kapo headed home an 80th-minute corner, but injurytime goals from the industrious Lee Carsley — a top-corner special from 20 yards — and Vaughan ensured justice was done.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce couldn't watch last week as Kapo stepped up to take a penalty against Wigan, retreating down the tunnel and re-emerging only when a roar from the crowd confirmed a goal. He must have gone walkabout again if his post-match assessment was anything to go by.

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was seldom troubled, other than reacting swiftly to deny Kapo in the 15th minute, yet Bruce insisted: "We did well after the break and if anyone was going to go on and win it I thought it might be us.

"It is cruel. We have had a lot of plaudits this year, and there have been times when we haven't got what we should have out of games. We have to learn to kill games off."

EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Yobo, Stubbs (Jagielka 22min), Lescott; Arteta, Carsley, Osman (Vaughan 80), Pienaar (Gravesen 85); Cahill; Yakubu. Subs (not used): McFadden, Wessels.

BIRMINGHAM (4-5-1): Maik Taylor; Kelly, Djourou, Ridgewell, Schmitz; De Ridder (Forssell 79), Muamba, Nafti (McSheffrey 71), Larsson (O'Connor 52), Kapo; Jerome. Subs (not used): Danns, Kington. Booked: Kelly.

Referee: M Riley (Yorkshire).