Everton were condemned to their worst league start for more than a decade by an Aston Villa side who were lucky to keep the visitors at bay at Villa Park.

The hosts took an early lead when Ashley Young freed marauding full-back Luke Young for a fine left-foot finish.

Everton’s Steven Pienaar hit the bar soon after while from Mikel Arteta’s smart free-kick Jack Rodwell glanced a second-half header just inches wide.

Both sides could have scored in a breathless finish but Villa clung on.

The result leaves Everton still searching for a first league win of the season, despite controlling most of the match against a Villa side who ground out a crucial win at an unsettling time for the Midlands club.

Both teams needed a positive showing after difficult starts to this campaign, but Villa - for whom Kevin MacDonald is still the caretaker manager after Martin O’Neill’s shock exit - were dealt a blow before kick-off as new signing Stephen Ireland got injured in the warm-up.

Nigel Reo-Coker was duly drafted into the starting line-up but the hosts were immediately on the back foot as Everton settled well and threatened menacingly down the left through Leighton Baines.

Yet the Toffees were made to pay a high price when the statuesque Marouane Fellaini catastrophically slipped outside his own penalty area in the seventh minute.

Villa pounced instantly with Ashley Young calmly slotting a fine short pass towards the gap which Young cleverly sprinted in to and his finish, curling the ball high past goalkeeper Tim Howard from 16 yards out with his weaker left foot, was unerring.

Jermaine Beckford, Everton’s bargain summer buy from Leeds United, is yet to score in the league for his new club but his pace caused Richard Dunne to receive a booking after the Villa defender crudely hacked him down after a tricky run.

Largely dictating the play despite that early setback, the visitors nearly scored in the 17th minute when Baines jabbed a nicely-weighted pass inside for Steven Pienaar who curved the ball casually out of Brad Freidel’s reach but against the bar.

Though Everton dominated possession, the fine link-up play down the left between Pienaar and Baines asked real questions of Villa right-winger Marc Albrighton - and though he was perhaps naive defensively, the 20-year-old showed real promise going forward.

That was evident as he wriggled free to lash a decent shot just past Howard’s post, though McDonald’s side would have been relieved to get to the interval with their 1-0 lead intact.

The hosts started an open second half with greater nous, causing Everton boss David Moyes to replace quiet striker Beckford with the vastly more experienced Louis Saha after 55 minutes.

The Merseysiders were briefly forced on the back foot as Villa settled into a pattern of counter-attacking football, with John Carew muscling his way into the box to force Howard into a double save from Ashley Young after a brilliant block from Phil Jagielka.

Seconds later Howard’s American counterpart Freidel made a superb instinct stop from Felliani’s snap shot on the turn before Rodwell glanced Arteta’s dangerous free-kick just wide of the post.

Villa did have a chance to extend their lead after Jagielka slipped when Reo-Coker was well placed to put Gabriel Agbonlahor, who had replaced Carew after 67 minutes, in the clear.

But Ireland’s replacement hit a woeful pass into the recovering England international, who managed to clear with ease.

Again Villa fluffed their lines when, following Howard’s desperate parry from Ashley Young’s swivel-hipped run and shot, Albrighton
hacked the ball wildly over the bar with time and space.

And Everton nearly equalised after a brilliantly incisive run down down the right from Seamus Coleman - who had replaced the injured Rodwell - but nobody was on hand to apply what could have been a simple finish.

The hosts sat deep inviting pressure on to them, but the Toffees huffed and puffed to no avail with Saha hitting a clear late chance into the body of Friedel - when a low shot would have troubled him more - before the Villa keeper once again denied him brilliantly.

The three points leaves Villa above Everton in the table and in much better health as they seek to appoint a permanent manager - be it McDonald or otherwise.

*Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald:*

“[Club owner Randy Lerner] has put no pressure on me but I will probably speak to him on Monday or Tuesday at the latest about whether I wish to be considered for the job.

“I’ve enjoyed being able to organise things but I still don’t know if it is for me or not.

“I will now have the chance to collate everything that has happened in the past two weeks and I’ve got to believe I’m good enough myself. That is what I will think about.”