A 78TH minute Graeme Sharp header gave struggling Everton three priceless points in their battle to climb from the relegation zone.

Full-back Eddie Youds, 20, making his debut, was put through by Neil McDonald and curled in the perfect cross from the bye-line for Sharp to score only his second league goal of the season.

It was a rare bright moment on a cold, miserable day when the swirling wind and a soggy pitch produced a scrappy game.

Everton almost went ahead just before the interval when Youds crossed for Kevin Sheedy to head straight at Nigel Spink.

Villa could have snatched an equaliser in the closing minutes.

First Daley crossed for the unmarked Tony Cascarino head over, then a Gordon Cowans corner was flicked on at the near post by Kent Nielsen, but the lunging David Platt succeeded only in clearing it off the goal line.

Platt later confirmed with a rueful grin that he had denied Villa a draw at Goodison Park by clearing off the Everton goal line as he tried to score the equaliser.

"It's my position to put them in at the back post," said Platt.

"Some of the lads said it was going in. But I tried to make sure.

"I tried to get a toe to the ball, but it hit me on the side of the foot and I hooked it out."