Baines penalty gets Everton off the mark at last

Everton climbed off the bottom of the Premier League as Leighton Baines’s late penalty snatched a 2-1 win against Wigan on Sunday.

David Moyes’ side had lost their first two league games this season and they were heading for another defeat when Paul Scharner gave Wigan a second-half lead at Goodison Park.

But Louis Saha equalised and, in stoppage time, Emmerson Boyce hauled down Jo and Baines stepped up to crash home the spot-kick.

Victory was much-needed for Moyes, who had moved quickly to spent some of the 24 million pounds received from Manchester City for Joleon Lescott.

The Toffees boss handed a debut to French defender Sylvain Distin, while another new signing, Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, got his debut as a late substitute.

Moyes must have hoped the end of the Lescott saga and new faces putting pressure on his established stars would give Everton the lift they needed to climb off the bottom of the table.

They started brightly enough as Tim Cahill directed a diving header just wide from Leighton Baines’s corner.

A fine move almost broke the deadlock afer half an hour. Jack Rodwell’s turn and pass found Leon Osman, who instantly sent Cahill racing away down the left.

The Australian’s cross found Saha powering into the six-yard box, but Mike Pollitt managed to get his body in the way of the striker’s shot.

After being thrashed by Manchester United and knocked out of the League Cup by Championship club Blackpool, Wigan had a point to prove and shuddering tackles were the order of the day for Roberto Martinez’s team.

Even Moyes felt the strength of Wigan’s tackling. He bent down to collect the ball as it crossed the touchline in front of him, and he was sent spinning by Hendry Thomas, who was sliding in trying to keep it in play.

Saha fired a cross-shot narrowly past the far post after bursting onto Tony Hibbert’s pass.

Wigan broke the deadlock in the 57th minutes when Charles N’Zogbia crossed and Scharner arrived unmarked to arrow a diving header past Tim Howard.

Jordi Gomez was unlucky not to increase Wigan’s lead as he side-footed a Mario Melchiot cross against a post.

But Everton’s fightback started in the 62nd minute when Saha headed home Baines’s corner.

Everton defender Joseph Yobo’s header was cleared off the line before Cahill nodded wide.

Wigan substitute Scott Sinclair, on loan from Chelsea, should have won it when he sprinted clear, only to have his shot blocked by Howard.

But, three minutes into injury time, Boyce brought down Jo, and Baines smashed home the penalty.