Cole fluke deflects United criticism

'I know from my time at Rangers that when you are 15 points clear and you come up against a smaller side, it is difficult to motivate yourself,' said Gough.

'We are a smaller side at the moment and it must be hard for the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs to lift themselves for a game against us. Believe me,

though, it will be different when they step out against Valencia and the other top European teams.'

For Gough, back at the heart of Everton's defence, this was supposed to be his farewell appearance at English football's most celebrated club venue.

The 38- year- old had insisted throughout his recovery from damaged knee ligaments that his sole aim was to help safeguard Everton's Premiership status before heading back to the United States in the summer.

That was the plan, anyway, until the persuasive powers of stepping out before a 67,000 full house at Old Trafford and finding that his ageing frame was still a match for the most prolific strikeforce in the land tempted him to contemplate at least one more Goodison campaign.

Gough clearly relished every second of pitting his warrior-like instincts against the cutting edge of Cole and Dwight Yorke in only his second outing since a five-Collymore: debut

month lay-off. He explained: 'I always said I will see out the season with Everton and be available until May, and that remains the case - unless I sign another contract!

'Seriously, I do enjoy coming to places like this and playing to a decent level and the thought of leaving it all behind is hard to take.

'I told some of our young boys that this is the place where you want to go out and prove you are a player, and I was delighted that lads like Michael Ball did exactly that.

'I was pleased for myself, too, because I was really worried about coming back from such a long layoff and discovering I could not perform to the required standard. I did not want to embarrass myself .

'Now I am going to see how it goes over the final weeks before deciding, once and for all, what happens next.

'I haven't spoken to the manager about it yet but it is likely that we will get together and have a chat in April or May. There is nothing to beat taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford and it has given me something to think about. Maybe the door is still open a bit.'

Everton dominated possession and created the game's two clear-est openings. Thomas Gravesen drove the first narrowly wide on the half-hour and Joe-Max Moore scooped the second over four minutes later.

Paul Scholes provided an extra problem for Ferguson by picking up a rib injury that places a question mark over his involvement against Valencia, who were themselves surprisingly held 2-2 last night away to Real Mallorca.