McFadden keeps Toffees in UEFA hunt

But a 2-1 defeat left relegation-haunted Charlton in despair, after the Londoners thought they had claimed a priceless point with a fine Darren Bent goal in the final minute of normal time.

The strike had left manager Alan Pardew leaping around on the touchline, but he came crashing down to earth when McFadden lashed home deep into four minutes of injury time.

McFadden has been out with a broken metatarsal, and this was his first game back, coming on in the second half for the ineffective James Beattie who had earlier headed two crosses wide.

After 81 minutes, following Ben Thatcher giving away a needless corner, Everton stole in front. Mikel Arteta's cross was nodded out to McFadden, who hit a rising shot that Andy Johnson diverted goalwards.

Scott Carson made a fine point-blank save, but Lescott was there to crash home the rebound.

Charlton threw on Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Madjid Bougherra, the latter instantly booked for a foul on Arteta, in a desperate attempt to salvage something.

Charlton kept going forward and were finally rewarded in the 90th minute. Everton failed to clear and when the ball came back into the box for Bent, he took it wide of two defenders before lashing it past Tim Howard into the far corner.

That should have been it, but in the second minute of four added on, McFadden claimed a loose ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce drive that flew past Carson.