Dion Dublin came off the bench to lift the pressure on Aston Villa boss Graham Taylor with a late winner against Everton at Villa Park.
Villa Park was full of frustration after the desperate derby defeat against Birmingham City - and the mood was not improved as Everton fought back from two goals down.
But veteran Dublin came to Villa and Taylor's rescue with an 84th minute decider to end Everton's brave challenge.
Lee Hendrie's double looked to have put Villa on course for three points, but Tomasz Radzinski and Kevin Campbell capped a stirring Everton comeback to set up a rousing finish.
Everton boss David Moyes will have found defeat a bitter pill to swallow after a spirited performance from his team.
Villa star Hendrie made his point to the manager who had left him out at Birmingham by scoring a brilliant opener after six minutes.
He gave Villa the perfect start when he spotted Richard Wright off his line and curled a right foot finish into the top corner from 20 yards.
Everton youngster Wayne Rooney was in aggressive mood, and he was booked for barging Darius Vassell after earlier flattening Villa veteran Steve Staunton.
Moyes's side were enjoying plenty of possession without threatening Peter Enckelman, apart from a long-range effort from China international Li Tie which flew narrowly wide.
And they were made to pay for not taking advantage when Hendrie doubled Villa's lead two minutes after the interval.
He shot high past Wright after Gareth Barry headed Ulises de la Cruz's cross into his path.
But it was signal for a spirited Everton response, and they were back in contention after 50 minutes when Radzinski scored on the turn from the edge of the area.
Everton pinned Villa in their own half, and it needed a stunning instinctive save from Enckelman to stop Campbell's header from point-blank range after 64 minutes.
It was a crucial save by Enckelman, who was mocked throughout by Everton's fans after his much-publicised error in the derby at Birmingham.
But it was a brief reprieve, with Campbell heading home at the near post from the resulting corner.
Villa were almost back in front with ten minutes to go when Alan Stubbs slipped to let in Vassell, but he headed agonisingly wide.
And boss Taylor decided to make a change, sending on Dublin and youngster Stefan Moore for Vassell and Peter Crouch.
And he was rewarded when Dublin scrambled home the winner at the far post as Everton failed to clear a corner.
Aston Villa: Enckelman, Mellberg, Barry, Staunton, Johnsen, De la Cruz (Leonhardsen 75), Kinsella, Hendrie, Samuel, Crouch (Dublin 81), Vassell (Moore 82).
Subs Not Used: Angel, Postma.
Goals: Hendrie 7, 48, Dublin 85.
Everton: Wright, Hibbert, Stubbs, Weir, Unsworth, Gravesen, Tie Li, Pembridge, Rooney (Alexandersson 77), Campbell, Radzinski.
Subs Not Used: Naysmith, Weifeng Li, Linderoth, Gerrard.
Booked: Rooney.
Goals: Radzinski 51, Campbell 66.
Attendance: 30,023.
Referee: J Winter (Cleveland).