Ferguson return can't help Everton

Even then, the one ray of light for the beleaguered Everton manager came complete with a dark cloud of worry and foreboding.

By Smith 's own admission, Everton's hopes of ending their drastic slump were pinned on a player whose misfortune with injury could best be summed up by one revealing statistic.

When Duncan Ferguson trudged off the pitch at the end, he had started and finished a match for the first time in exactly two years.

After finally shaking off a calf problem that kept him out for four months, Ferguson at last made his full Everton debut and led the line with all the vigour and intimidating power that once marked him down as a forward to be feared.

One towering far-post header produced a spectacular reflex stop from Chris Kirkland and was an example of the aerial menace that demanded the best of his marker Breen.

Coventry's match-winner duly delivered to leave Everton fretting over their Premiership status as well as Ferguson's ability to avoid further injury problems.

Smith was critical of the way set pieces had cost his side dear over their Christmas programme but was full of praise for Ferguson.

'Duncan did really well and I don't think it was a risk leaving him on for the full 90 minutes,' said the manager.

'Injury-wise, he's fine. It's just a question of building up his fitness because you can ' t expect him to be flying around the place after so long out.

'He was always a threat in their area and that was what we needed to try to get something out of the game.

'I am particularly disappointed that we have fallen down on set pieces at Charlton and now against Coventry. If we were being played off the park, it would be different. But we weren ' t - we did enough to get something out of both games.'

After surviving a David Weir header that clipped the bar in the 49th minute, Coventry went ahead 20 minutes later when Mustapha Hadji won the aerial battle for David Thompson's free kick and sent a glancing header beyond Myhre.

Ferguson's efforts seemed to have been rewarded five minutes from time when he teed up Gemmill for an unstoppable first time volley.

Coventry, drawing on the resilience that char-acterised Strachan's playing days, refused to settle for a point and went away with all three in a dramatic finale.

Myhre, otherwise impressive after being recalled from a loan spell with Tranmere, came for another Thompson free- kick and was left floundering as Breen nipped in to apply the finishing touch.

'I thought that was Gary's first goal ever, never mind for three years,' grinned Strachan. 'This was a big win for us and it showed our determination after Everton pegged us back.'

Everton face a Football Association investigation after Kirkland was struck by an object thrown from the Gladwys Street end two minutes from time.

The goalkeeper clutched the back of his head in agony following a left-wing corner and needed treatment before continuing. Referee Neale Barry will report the incident to the FA.

'Someone threw something from behind the goal and it struck him a painful blow on his head,' added Strachan.