Everton 2 - 1 Sunderland

Everton 2-1 Sunderland

Updated: January 18, 2003, 2:04 PM ET

On-loan American Brian McBride stole the show on the day Everton fans were celebrating boy wonder Wayne Rooney's new contract. He scored both goals for the home side as they came back to beat Sunderland 2-1. • Moyes hails loan star McBride

There was no escaping Rooney, who flashed across the giant TV screens and appeared on the cover of the match programme - but did not play because of suspension.

But it was 31-year-old McBride who was the Goodison hero, helping Everton to their first win since early December.

Relegation-haunted Sunderland were ahead in the first half through Kevin Kilbane's first goal of the season, but when the home side went to work after the break it was McBride - a World Cup star in the Far East last summer - who stepped up with a quickfire double to claim the points.

The American scored on his debut last week in the 4-3 defeat at Tottenham and today provided further ammunition to get Everton's European quest back on track.

Sunderland started in deep defence, made a game of it in the second half, and the likes of Kevin Phillips deserved more for their effort.

But Howard Wilkinson's side suffered a third successive 2-1 away reverse in the Barclaycard Premiership - making it six games without a win for the Wearsiders.

Everton's goalkeeping injury crisis eased with Richard Wright making a shock recovery from his knee injury, but Kevin Campbell was only fit enough for the bench after missing two games with knee trouble.

McBride shook off a hamstring injury for his home debut and David Weir returned after suspension - but Joseph Yobo was dropped after the 4-3 reverse at Spurs last week.

After Alan Stubbs had twice headed Gary Naysmith corners wide, Tomasz Radzinski managed to get behind the line onto a Stubbs pass on 11 minutes and took the ball round Thomas Sorensen - but could not hook the ball in.

McBride headed Alessandro Pistone's angled ball goalwards after 16 minutes - Sorensen saving well at the foot of a post and diving on the rebound.

Kevin Phillips was dangerous up front for Sunderland, and he almost netted with the Wearsiders' first on-target effort - a 25-yard effort which Wright spilled before David Unsworth cleared.

Everton's response was a fine passing move which ended with Steve Watson laying the ball out to Pistone and then racing into the box to meet the cross with a diving header which crashed against a post.

But the home side were punished for their wastefulness on 34 minutes when Sunderland took the lead.

Phillips, who seconds earlier had scampered 40 yards on his own to create a chance which Tore Andre Flo wasted, then claimed possession mid-half and intelligently found Kilbane out on the left. The Republic of Ireland international took two strides before striking an accurate left foot effort in off the far post.

It was nearly 2-0 a minute from the break when the dangerous Phillips created space and then curled an 18-yard effort which Wright turned superbly round a post.

Everton, who brought on Thomas Gravesen for Li Tie at the break, almost went two down inside a minute of the restart when Wright failed to punch clear effectively from a corner, but made amends with a fine plunging save to keep out Phillips' instant volley from the rebound.

But on 51 minutes Everton were level. Scot Gemmill got to the byline and chipped to the far post where McBride got a messy connection and saw the ball clip the unfortunate Paul Thirlwell and bounce into the net.

Everton almost got a second when McBride's nod down from Unsworth's cross was turned inches wide by Radzinski.

Unsworth then arrived in the box after another Gemmill cross to send a shot crashing into Sean Thornton - who was making his Premiership debut - on the line and inches wide.

But the second goal did come on 57 minutes, when McBride received a Radzinski pass on the edge of the box and - after an initial stumble - shot into the bottom corner.

Sunderland's response was to replace Thirlwell with the more adventurous Julio Arca, and the playmaker saw one run produced a blocked shot and then another twisting and turning 40-yard scamper provide a chance for Phillips which was touched wide by Wright.

McBride, not surprisingly after a season with Columbus Crew in the United States, is not quite up to the pace of the Premiership - but his sterling efforts won him a standing ovation when he was replaced by Campbell on 74 minutes.

Sunderland refused to cave in, and Darren Williams surged into the box and brought another flying save out of Wright with 10 minutes left.

But there was no grandstand finish from the visitors and the points went to Everton - even without Rooney.

Moyes hails loan star McBride

David Moyes hailed loan star Brian McBride after the United States World Cup player scored the double that clinched a 2-1 victory over battling Sunderland.

McBride is on a three-month loan spell until the new USA league starts when he will return to Columbus Crew.

Moyes said: 'His performance was excellent, he gives you great honesty and commitment. It is players like that who contribute to the team overall and win you matches.

'Brian has come straight into the Premiership, scored last week in his first game for us and got another two here, and the way he played he could have had a hat-trick.

'He works so hard, he won headers for us in both boxes and that's important to any team.'

Moyes added: 'We played some really good football, there were excellent displays by lots of the lads, and we could have had a few early on and then when Steve Watson hit the post.

'I know we were nervous at the end - at 2-1 you can always see it slip away with the opponents having nothing to lose and throwing men forward.

'In the end we had to rely on Richard Wright to make a few saves.

'Sunderland fought hard, but we were on top for the majority of the game apart from little pockets when they did well and then at the end.'

Sunderland boss Howard Wilkinson saw another three points slip away in an increasingly desperate relegation battle, and said: 'There were two moments in the game when we could have settled it.

'We were ahead and Kevin Phillips went very close on two occasions. Anything from them and it would have been a different story.

'We weathered their early spell and I felt at times we controlled the game. If we are to improve we must control the ball better.'