LONDON: Liverpool’s monthlong search for a Premier League win ended in a 2-0 triumph at Everton on Sunday, with Joseph Yobo’s own-goal and Dirk Kuyt’s late strike settling the 212th Merseyside derby.

Yobo inadvertently diverted Javier Mascherano’s 30-yard strike past goalkeeper Tim Howard in the 12th minute, and another late mistake from the Everton center back led to Kuyt’s goal. Yobo’s error on an attempted clearance in the 80th allowed Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to seize the loose ball and tee up Albert Riera for a shot that was parried by Howard but then kicked into the net by Kuyt.

The victory was secured without injured striker Fernando Torres and lifted Liverpool up to fifth in the standings, just outside the Champions League spots, five days after the team was eliminated from this season’s competition. Everton’s third straight loss leaves them two points above the relegation zone. Also today, Lee Bowyer scored in the third minute to give Birmingham a 1-0 victory over Midlands rival Wolverhampton.

On Saturday, Manchester United beat Portsmouth 4-1 with Wayne Rooney scoring a hat trick for the defending champions. Tottenham is third after drawing 1-1 at Aston Villa.

Spanish La Liga

MADRID: Brazilian international striker Luis Fabiano scored a superb second half brace as Sevilla came from two goals down to grab a point in a 2-2 home draw with lowly Malaga on Saturday.

Malaga had gone two goals up through Fernando (22 min) and Sergio Duda (45) but Fabiano led the second half comeback scoring a bullet header on 58 minutes before levelling with a clinical finish on 72 minutes. Despite scrambling for the point Sevilla, who missed a host of chances, will view it as two points lost knowing they could have moved above Barcelona and level on points with leaders Real Madrid with a victory

Valencia also failed to put pressure on Barca and Real after falling victim to a late penalty equaliser in a 1-1 home draw with Real Mallorca. David Villa went into double figures for the season, scoring for the third successive game on 48 minutes, but Borja Valero equalised five minutes from time with a penalty to prevent a fifth successive win for Valencia. If they had won Valencia would have been a point behind Real but Bruno Grau’s unnecessary foul gave away the penalty and Valencia stay fourth a point behind Sevilla.

In other matches, goalkeeper Diego Lopez was left a frustrated figure with his two penalty saves still not enough to help 10-man Villarreal end their away blues as they lost 1-0 at Sporting Gijon. Substitute Mate Bilic struck the winning goal on 75 minutes after Lopez had parried Alberto Rivera’s initial spot-kick and Lopez saved another penalty from Bilic on 88 minutes, but it was to no avail. Villarreal have yet to win on their travels this season and lie in mid-table far away from their goal of Champions League football while Sporting are a respectable seventh.