Soccer: Everton rock United's title challenge

Home grown talents Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell came off the bench to score the crucial goals as Everton stunned Manchester United 3-1 at Goodison Park.

Ten days after beating Chelsea 2-1, the Toffees produced another gritty display and deserved to take the points. Like against the Blues, Everton had to do it the hard way after falling behind to Dimitar Berbatov's smart finish. But Diniyar Bilyaletdinov levelled just two minutes later with a swerving strike into the bottom corner.

United had a couple of half chances in the second half, with the score at 1-1, but too often the final let them down and Wayne Rooney looked a shadow of the man who terrorised AC Milan in midweek.

And Gosling, a second half substitute, made the champions pay just under 15 minutes from time as he turned in Steven Pienaar's perfect cross. Sir Alex Ferguson, though, might well question Antonio Valencia's failure to track back and Patrice Evra's weak attempt to deny Gosling.

With Goodison Park rocking and United bombing forward, fellow sub Rodwell skipped past Jonny Evans, who had another shaky game, and fired low past Edwin van der Sar to seal the three points for Everton.

When all is said and done come May, Ferguson may well look back on this result as a killer blow in the title race.