Everton earn their first win in five matches as Watford throw away two-goal lead before missing late penalty

Everton 3 Watford 2: David Unsworth won for the first time in charge of Everton as his side fought back from two-goals down before former Toffee Tom Cleverly fluffed his lines at the death

Baines won Everton all three points with a late penalty kick (Getty)

And so, the spotlight falls on Farhad Moshiri. Over two nights, a Panorama double-bill will include him amongst their investigations into the secret practices of the global finance industry, posing questions about the source of his investment in Everton.

This, while he decides who will be the next full-time manager of a team that clawed itself out of the relegation zone with an improbable victory here.

The manner surely means the chances of David Unsworth being that manager improve dramatically. Unsworth vowed to attempt to bring that famous Dogs of War mentality of the mid-1990s back to Goodison Park. Under his guidance - albeit across just four games, three of them being away – Everton’s players, those regarded as key particularly, have resembled drowning puppies.

They had here, at least, until this second half. Watford’s lead was by two but a head injury to Heurelho Gomes, their captain and goalkeeper, meant a debut for his replacement Orestis Karnezis, the Greek international. On a cold night, he was slow to react to the dangers around him and within ten minutes, Watford’s advantage had been taken away.

Thanks to Leighton Baines’s injury time penalty, it was eventually eviscerated. But not before further drama. In the tenth minute of injury time Tom Cleverley would miss his own spot kick, Cleverley being a former Everton midfielder. It was a remarkable evening.

If Unsworth has shown one trait in his short time as Everton manager, it has been ruthlessness. He clearly does not think very much of Davy Klaassen nor Sandro Ramírez because neither have featured since Ronald Koeman’s sacking. But for 19 minutes in the Europa League, the same goes for Nikola Vlašić.

Meanwhile, following his red card in Lyon on Thursday night and dubious prior form, Morgan Schneiderlin was similarly absent from the squad here. Ashley Williams similarly was relegated to the bench.

Kabasele put Watford 2-0 up (Getty)

Unsworth has retained faith in the academy players Koeman gave debuts to and has rewarded Beni Baningime’s energetic performances in his under-23 team with an opportunity at senior level and this was his first start in the league.

Watford were much the better team for two thirds of this match, though; the speed and power of Abdoulaye Doucouré and Richarlison an outstanding feature of their strategy. When the latter accelerated away from Phil Jagielka and took the ball past Jordan Pickford, Goodison waited for the worst to happen.

Though the Brazilian would be not be clinical on this occasion, sliding his shot into the side-netting, when he was faced with a similar situation albeit much closer to goal moments into the second half, he would drive Watford into the lead – a lead that would extend to two when Christian Kabasele met José Holebas’s corner to head past Pickford soon after.

Calvert-Lewin got Everton back onto level terms (Getty)

Before that moment, Gomes was substituted, helped off with a bandage around his head after colliding with Kabasele and in his absence, Watford were not as organised defensively. After Oumar Niasse made it 2-1 by showing more determination than Karnezis to meet a bouncing ball, Everton were level when substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin met Baines’s corner. By then, Kabasele had also been carried off.

Unsworth has to be credited for his substitutions because Aaron Lennon had only been on the pitch for a few minutes when his pace caused Holebas to bring him down. Goodison was rocking. Karnezis was terrified. Baines was calm. Much calmer than Cleverley, in fact.

Over to you, Farhad.