Everton progress after win

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov claimed the game's solitary goal in the sixth minute as the visitors defended obdurately thereafter to preserve their slender lead and dump their hosts out of the competition.

The win was tempered by injuries sustained by Sylvain Distin, Dan Gosling and Jo to compound David Moyes's horrific casualty list.

The match was played in atrocious conditions as the rain teemed down in Athens and the pitch was not remotely conducive to passing football.

The decisive moment came as a result of the game's first meaningful attack as Jo slipped a sublime through ball beyond Nikos Georgeas and Bilyaletdinov struck a clinical finish over the diving Diego Saja.

Everton went into the match without defender Joseph Yobo, who sustained a hamstring injury against Liverpool, and after just 10 minutes Moyes had to make an enforced change with Gosling stricken.

Eight minutes later and Distin was also forced off after he pulled up with a hamstring strain and 17-year-olds Shane Duffy and Jose Baxter were subsequently called to duty.

Everton's defensive plight could have been worsened on the half-hour, but for some lenient refereeing as Tony Hibbert, who already had a yellow card to his name, lunged in rashly on Michalis Pavlis.

The second half was a turgid affair with both sides having to scrap for the ball in the air, but the best chance to net a second goal fell to Jo.

The Brazilian swivelled sharply on the edge of the AEK penalty area in the 59th minute and drove a fierce, low shot towards Saja's far post, but the keeper's sprawled to his left and managed to tip the ball wide.

Moyes made his third enforced substitution in the 73rd minute as Jo collided with Garcia Juanfran in an innocuous challenge and hobbled off to exacerbate the visitors' injury problem.

Two minutes later, Baxter was then on hand to clear off the Everton goalline after Tim Howard was forced out of position and Jorge Manduca's low shot looked to be heading towards the far corner of the net.

Everton sealed their place in the knock-out stages of the competition as a result of their hard-earned and efficient win, coupled with BATE Borisov's 2-1 defeat to Benfica in the other match in Group I.

Moyes will have been delighted with his side's application and stout defensive display, but will now have to contend with a further depleted squad.