Football: BLUES REIGN IN UKRAINE; UEFA CUP Moyes' men weather storm to reach group stage.

Byline: By NICK SMITH at the Metalist Stadium

METALIST KHARKIV 2

Edmar 21, Mahdoufi 52

EVERTON 3

Lescott 48, McFadden 72, Anichebe 88 (Everton win 4-3 on agg)

METALIST KHARKIV: Goryainov, Bordiyan, Mdrakovic, Guie, Mahdoufi, Valiaev, Edmar, Rykun, Devic (Zeze 90), Jakobia (Danilav 73), Slysur. Subs: Thumak, Nwoha, Davydov, Svitlychny, Kostyuk.

EVERTON: Howard, Neville, Yobo,, Stubbs, Lescott, Pienaar, Jagielka (Anichebe 61), Osman, Arteta, McFadden (Hibbert 89), Yakubu (Baines 74). Subs: Wessels, Nuno Valente, Carsley, Jutkiewicz.

BOOKED: Neville.

REFEREE: Jouni Hyytia (Fin)

ATT: 27,500

EVERTON won't be concerned that they found little time for sight-seeing during their stay in Ukraine.

Because they didn't need to visit Kharkiv's colossal Freedom Square to see a big empty space opening out in front of them.

This very prospect faced them last night when they twice went behind both on the night and on aggregate in the second leg of their Uefa Cup first round tie with Metalist Kharkiv.

A whole winter with nothing more exotic to look forward than Luton Town in the Carling Cup and the same old Premier League routine.

But then the men who have re-invented themselves with remarkable starts to this season totally changed the face of Everton's campaign - Joleon Lescott with the first equaliser early in the second half, James McFadden with the second crucial away goal 17 minutes from time.

The despair of earlier strikes by Edmar and Hicham Mahdoufi that put the energetic Ukrainians in the ascendency was then firmly consigned to the history books when Victor Anichebe steadied himself to clinch a stirring 4-3 aggregate win in the last minute.

It climaxed a night of almost unbearable tension that was perfectly in keeping with the agony Everton have suffered on their way to the ecstasy of making the group stages they so embarrassingly missed out on two years ago.

Their failure to close out the tie in the first leg at Goodison seemed catastrophic - even more so when they made such a wretched start to their attempts to make amends last night.

And although this never looked like being a Dinamo Bucharest-style thrashing, an exit would have been no less disappointing given the optimism that coursed through Goodison when these sides were paired together a month ago.

That they made hard work of it matters not this morning because the fact is, they now have four guaranteed group games - effectively a cup run in itself.

And whoever is grouped with Everton in today's draw, it's certainly going to produce the most games David Moyes has played in one cup competiton since he took over the Goodison reins.

Even before kick-off Everton's night didn't get off to the best of starts when Andrew Johnson failed to get the all-clear from a groin injury and couldn't even make the bench.

Leon Osman did get over a similar injury, however, to take his place in a midfield that was designed to give Everton the creative edge they needed to claw back an away goal.

This meant Phil Neville moving to right-back while Joseph Yobo's return saw Lescott move across to replace Leighton Baines on the left of a back four that was shaken up a bit - but not half as much as it was when Metalist got to work.

The warning signs flashed up with barely a minute gone when a timely Alan Stubbs tackle denied Lacha Jaocbiya a clear run on goal.

All of which signalled a nervy start by Everton, who badly needed a spell of possession to help them regain some composure in the super-charged atmosphere the sold-out Metalist Stadium.

But spurred on by the crowd, Metalist continued to dictate the play, moving the ball through midfield towards the lively forward players with far too much ease and speed for Moyes' liking.

One of their early neat interchanges almost brought the opening goal for Edmar on the 16th minute but his attempts to place the ball in the corner were thwarted by Tim Howard's outstretched left hand.

But it came as little surprise when Howard was picking it out of his net after 21 minutes, the American being left hopelessly exposed once again by team-mates who hadn't heeded the warning of Ed-mar's first foray beyond them.

Everton managed to settle down somewhat towards the end of the first half and Osman should have nodded Pienaar's cross into the net rather than into Gori-ainov's hands.

Everton came out for the second half showing far more urgency in the first two minutes than they had in the previous 45, and proved that under a bit of pressure Metalist could melt.

The home side made a hash of trying to clear a free-kick and after Arteta teed up Pienaar, his shot was turned in virtually on the line by Lescott for his second of the tie and, remarkably, his fifth in all competitions this campaign.

It took the Kharkiv side just four minutes to go back in front when Devic again took advantage of not being closed down to strike the base of the post. With Howard flustered, he could only then stand and watch Mahdoufi to steal in to slot the rebound past him to put the home side back in the ascendancy.

Everton now, however, needed a second goal to avoid another painful early exit and Moyes recognised the fact by bringing on Victor Anichebe for Phil Jagielka, thus ditching any defensive thinking from his midfield.

And it was McFadden who produced the moment the travelling Scousers craved with his third in three games, turning in Anichebe's ball from the right to put Everton in pole position in the tie for the first time since the first leg so cruelly turned against them.

With Metalist pressing forward Anichebe ruthlessly took advantage of when he chased a long ball and rounded Goriainov.

MAN OF THE MATCH: James McFadden - He's never been more dangerous than he is at the moment.

CAPTION(S):

Everton striker Victor Anichebe is congratulated by team-mates Leon Osman and Joleon Lescott after scoring the Blues' third goal against Metalist Kharkiv last night; Joleon Lescott (above left) is all smiles after scoring Everton's first goal, while Victor Anichebe (right) fires home the third; Manager David Moyes (left) celebrates with Phil Neville, while James McFadden salutes his goal (centre); Joseph Yobo (right)