John Carew's late equaliser earned Aston Villa a 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park that keeps them in the hunt for a UEFA Cup place.

Everton had twice taken the lead in the second half only for Gabriel Agbonlahor and then Carew to level, the second time just a minute after Joseph Yobo had put his side ahead.

Everton went ahead through Phil Neville early in the second period before Agbonlahor touched home Gareth Barry's corner with 10 minutes to play.

Yobo appeared to have sealed victory for the home side when he volleyed home Lee Carsley's cross with just over five minutes remaining, but within a minute Carew levelled the scores again with a header that crept inside the far post.

The result maintains Everton's three-point lead over their opponents in the hunt for fifth place, with just two games of the season remaining.

Everton boss David Moyes announced his attacking intentions by pairing Andy Johnson alongside Yakubu Ayegbeni up front, and in sodden conditions the home side began on the front foot, with Yakubu flashing a shot wide from a narrow angle and Leon Osman seeing an effort from distance deflected wide by Zat Knight.

Villa responded with a 25-yard Barry strike that flashed across the face of Tim Howard's goal, before Yakubu tested Scott Carson for the first time with a stinging drive from the left that the Villa goalkeeper was forced to push away.

The visitors' tried and tested front three of Ashley Young, Agbonlahor and Carew was causing the Everton defence problems when they went forward, and on 30 minutes Young went close to giving his side the lead when his curling free-kick from the edge of the area rattled the woodwork.

Everton's momentum dwindled as the first half wore on, and Phil Jagielka and Carsley - tasked with marking the giant Carew - were called on to produce some timely interventions.

The Toffees had a strong penalty shout turned down five minutes into the second period when Stiliyan Petrov appeared to block Carsley's goalbound effort with his arm, but shortly afterwards they went ahead from an unlikely source.

Yakubu got free down the left and pulled a pass to the edge of the box where Neville crashed in a right-footed effort that took a sizeable deflection off Martin Laursen, giving the wrong-footed Carson no chance.

Villa hit back, with Carew and Agbonlahor going close from corners, before Steven Pienaar extended Carson at the other end with a curling effort from the left-hand corner of the penalty area that drew a flying save from the Villa keeper.

Visiting manager Martin O'Neill responded by introducing Patrik Berger and Marlon Harewood, and with 10 minutes to play Villa drew level when Agbonlahor sent Barry's right-wing corner flying into the roof of the net from close range.

The scores were level for just three minutes, after which Yobo neatly volleyed home Carsley's cross at the back post, but just over a minute after that Villa drew level for a second time, with Carew heading home Barry's centre from the left.

There was time for even further drama in injury time when Petrov chested Yobo's goalbound header off the line, but despite the disappointment of letting the lead slip twice, Everton will now be favourites to make sure of fifth place.

Tom Williams / Eurosport