Everton  1 Derby County 0VICTORY OVER Derby County, not defeat in the derby, has delivered true perspective on Everton's Champions League credentials.

David Moyes was still contemplating a place among the European elite as Derby's hasty retreat to the Championship was confirmed last weekend and yesterday he proclaimed their scalp an essential shot-in-the-arm. The latter gives a more accurate reflection of Everton's prowess just now.

Moyes' side spent last week at a training camp in southern Spain and though a first league win in four games has improved prospects of a return to Europe next season, their destination remains far from certain. The simplest task of their remaining six games proved a gruelling exercise at Goodison Park, Leon Osman's match-winning goal keeping Portsmouth at bay in the contest for fifth place, and Everton can ill-afford their malaise to drag much longer.

"The result was the most important thing today and results at this stage of the season are not as easy to come by as some people think," said the Everton manager. "This could just give us the boost we need."

With Birmingham away, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle to come, Moyes must sincerely hope so.

The first half was so devoid of life, memorable only for an incredible miss from Yakubu Ayegbeni who miscued from four yards following a fine delivery across the goalmouth from Leighton Baines and the striker's touch did not improve thereafter.

"We have improved but it's easy to improve when you've been relegated. The pressure's off and you play with less fear," said Paul Jewell, the Derby manager. "We took the game to Everton, moved the ball really well between the boxes, and Everton resorted to long balls in the first half, which suited us."

Lacking invention away at Liverpool is a poor reflection on a team of Everton's ambition, alarming when repeated at home to Derby County. For all Moyes' calls for more investment at Goodison, the visitors were not the club fielding a €25.4 million defence and €25.4 million strike force yesterday. The chorus of jeers that accompanied the home side down the tunnel at the interval supported that view. "We didn't play well today but I don't think the crowd played well either," countered Moyes.

The source of Osman's seventh goal of the season was also a surprise, though that is a measure of Manuel Fernandes' second stint at Goodison Park and not the talent the Portuguese midfielder so obviously possesses. Fernandes has returned a different player, error-prone and seemingly disinterested, but a beautifully weighted pass through the Derby defence was an overdue reminder of Fernandes' good side. Osman collected the 30-yard delivery and drove the ball beyond Roy Carroll.

"I think he's got everything in his locker to be a top midfield player, I really do," said Moyes, who has the option to buy the player this summer. (Nevertheless he replaced his creator with Phil Jagielka in this game.) "Overall he's done okay. He's a young player who probably needs to settle down in his career now. He has moved from home to home quite a lot and he needs a bit of love and attention."

There was no love lost between Carroll and Kenny Miller when the Derby goalkeeper conceded a foul inside the Everton area as the visitors chased a stoppage-time equaliser. The pair squared up and agreed to continue their dispute down the tunnel. "Just passion and frustration," insisted Jewell. The latter was in plentiful supply here.