Royle's return proves fruitless

City manager Royle's decision to stand by his young goalkeeper after Weaver's howler against Aston Villa looked vindicated until he allowed Everton's third goal to squirm through his hands in a hectic climax to a tense match.

Everton defender Alessandro Pistone and City striker Paul Dickov were sent off for a touchline confrontation by Harrow schoolmaster David Elleray when the tension finally boiled over three minutes from time.

Walter Smith's side lost strikers Duncan Ferguson and Francis Jeffers to injury. Ferguson took a knock on the knee and replacement Jeffers lasted 24 minutes before Danny Tiatto's foul challenge on him dislocated a shoulder. By then Everton had secured the second successive win that eased any lingering fears of relegation with goals from Ferguson, Michael Ball and skipper David Weir - his first of the season - more than enough to ensure the points. It was a defeat that left City contemplating a return to the First Division after just one season and a depressing 52nd birthday for Royle at the ground where he enjoyed so many triumphs as an England centre-forward and an FA Cup-winning manager. It was also setback which put the spotlight on Weaver, whose credentials as a future England goalkeeper are back under scrutiny following another aberration.

Unlike the error against Villa, when Dion Dublin looked almost embarrassed to score after the keeper made a complete hash of his clearance, Weaver's mistake yesterday did not cost City the game - at 2-1 down and with Paul Gerrard a virtual spectator, they were already struggling badly.

But the manner of Weir's 82nd-minute goal, which squeezed through his hands as the hapless goalkeeper was thrown by a bad bounce, was an embarrassment that he could have done without going into the Maine Road showdown with Arsenal on Wednesday.

Royle insisted: 'Nicky has done very well, and I was more concerned about the free header than the bounce that led to the goal. The first half was symptomatic of our season. We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot but we'll keep going while it's mathematically possible to stay up.' Weaver said: 'I've not lost confidence in myself. When things aren't going for you, they aren't. I expected it to bounce but the ball hit a puddle and I don't know what I could have done different.'

The irony is that Weaver had earlier made two brilliant saves in a game City at least started as if they meant to win - their unenviable record of two wins in 22 matches notwithstanding. City even contrived to take the lead, although home players argued that the ninth-minute free kick, awarded when Andrei Kanchelskis went down under David Unsworth's tackle, should have gone the other way.

However, there was no argument about the header that Jeff Whitley produced from Tiatto's free kick, a powerful effort from the smallest man on the pitch for his first goal of the season that left Gerrard standing and would have impressed watching Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy.

Old City hands knew it was probably too good and too early to last and, although Weaver conjured a great point-blank save with his legs from Ferguson, the big Scot was back with a vengeance in the 16th minute for a close-range equaliser after Kevin Campbell headed down Niclas Alexandersson's cross.

Weaver came up with another fine save, this time after Steve Watson's shot took a deflection, but City missed a chance to regain their lead when Dickov shot against the goalkeeper and, six minutes before half time, Everton led for the first time. While it was Weaver who conceded the penalty - and admitted he feared he would be sent off - the goal could by traced back to Richard Dunne's lethargy as Michael

Ball's pass went overhead for Campbell to run onto. Weaver saved Ball's poorly-hit penalty, but the Everton player was first to the rebound.

Yet boss Smith said: 'We cannot feel comfortable until we are over that 40-point mark.'