"He had a good relationship with the fans and with all of the players and the club. I don't think there will be any hard feelings."In a World Cup year you have to play regularly Darius could still be in the squad for next summer He hasn't been out of the national side that long. Darius Vassell's decade at the Midlands club ended with his £2m summer move to Manchester City where he has put his stalling career back on track with three goals so far this term. Olof Mellberg, Villa's captain at the City of Manchester Stadium, said: "Maybe it didn't look like he was going to play all the time for Villa this season, as the manager [David O'Leary] signed new players."Mellberg believes Vassell will get a good reception from Villa fans and thinks he will regain his England place if he maintains his current form under the City manager, Stuart Pearce. As Aston Villa fans look forward to a future with Doug Ellis shunted aside from his chairman's role - should the reported £64m takeover by the property company Comer Homes Group bear fruit - another Villa alumnus, who promised much yet ultimately failed to deliver, will face his old club for the first time tonight. Substitutes not used: Vaesen (gk), Tebily, Painter.Everton (4-4-2): Martyn; Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Neville; Arteta, Davies, Cahill, Van der Meyde (Kilbane, 70); Beattie (Osman, 82), Ferguson.

Substitutes not used: Wright (gk), Kroldrup, McFadden.Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).Booking: Everton Arteta.Man of the match: Yobo.Attendance: 26,554.. And the deeply worried manager may now turn further to youth, because the confidence of his wise old pros has been shredded.Goal: Davies (42) 0-1.Birmingham City (4-4-2): Maik Taylor; Cunningham (Pandiani, 73), Martin Taylor, Upson, Clapham; Pennant, Johnson, Butt (Kilkenny, 34), Jarosik; Heskey, Forssell. But here was evidence that a side who massively over-achieved last season and have hugely under-achieved this may be heading towards a more fitting "half-way house".This return to their stock result of last autumn was based on familiar virtues: a strong defence and a midfield posing a goal threat.If they can also start extracting something approaching value for money from their record £6m signing, James Beattie, they will leave the relegation skirmish to smaller-name clubs, especially if this encouraging first Premiership glimpse of Andy van der Meyde is a true barometer of his ability.Davies, as Tim Cahill has done so often, came up with the winning goal - this one from 30 yards, the ball skipping awkwardly on bouncing in front of Maik Taylor.Birmingham, with a nightmare statistic of their own following only one point from six home League games, did at least improve on an awful first half.It was a relief to hear afterwards that Nicky Butt had been suffering from double vision before being substituted in the 34th minute, because his so far unhappy St Andrews career was plumbing new depths at the time.His replacement, Neil Kilkenny, provided the spark for an injury-hit side and went closest with a curling free-kick against the inside of a post.Steve Bruce believes the midfielder's tender 19 years make him too young to be afflicted by the psychological complexes gripping so many of his colleagues. "I don't see how he can improve," Mourinho said, "because for me he is the best player in the world. I would not change Lampard for another player because he does everything. His defence is incredible, he can pass over a long distance, he can pass short He can score over long distance, how can he improve?". Bare-chested and punching the air in delight, Everton's players could hardly be accused of down-playing the relief of climbing off the foot of the Premiership.

The throwing of shirts into the crowd at the final whistle was more the action of a side saying thanks and farewell in May than one celebrating three points in the last few hours of British summertime. But that was how the joy of the moment seized David Moyes. The 2005 Manager of the Year had ordered the gesture, and his match-winner, Simon Davies, said: "The fans have to know they make a difference."You don't know what it's like to travel back on the team coach after losing and it had spread to the training ground We had forgotten what it was like to win. It's early days but, hopefully, we have turned the corner."Everton had gone out of two European tournaments and the Carling Cup since last winning a match in the Premiership.They had lost six successive League games in the meantime, and 11 defeats in 14 matches in all competitions before Saturday had raised the spectre of an end to the club's grandiose and unbroken run of 52 seasons of top-flight football.Much still remains to be done and Moyes claims he will not look at the table until another game or two has been won. Substitutes not used: Kiely (gk), El Karkouri.Bolton (4-5-1): Jaaskelainen; O'Brien, Jaidi, N'Gotty, Gardner; Nolan (Okocha, 84), Nakata (Ben Haim, 87), Faye, Speed, Diouf; Davies (Borgetti 69).