NICOLAS ANELKA'S fourth goal of the season wasn't enough for Wanderers to gain a point as Joleon Lescott headed a last minute goal to give Everton all the points.

Yakubu put his side in front on his debut for the Toffees after 11 minutes, but Wanderers rallied and responded nine minutes into the second-half through Anelka's fourth goal in five games.

With Wanderers in the ascendancy and looking to claim their second consecutive victory, Lescott, the former Wolves defender, hit them with a sucker punch as he leapt above Andy O'Brien to power home Thomas Gravesen's corner a minute from time.

Going into the Reebok Stadium's tenth anniversary, Sammy Lee's men were unchanged from the side that cruised past Reading seven days earlier.

The visitors were assured throughout the early stages and Mikel Arteta was presented with a chance to break the deadlock with only six minutes on the clock. However, his free-kick cleared the bar by some distance.

Yakubu was soon celebrating after only 11 minutes of his Everton career. The Nigerian got on the end of Andy Johnson's centre after Gerald Cid missed the opportunity to win the ball off the England international.

Wanderers were enjoying the majority of possession and looked cool and composed when they had hold of the ball.

Indeed they could have got an equaliser within 60 seconds of Yakubu's striker, but for Tim Howard's fine save off Mikel Alonso's sublime left-footed volley.

Wanderers were pressing forward at every opportunity and were denied a clear cut penalty when Lee Carsley's clumsy challenge felled El-Hadji Diouf. The Senegalese frontman looked aghast when official Peter Walton ignored the claim. Television replays showed that the African had a valid case.

Two minutes later he spurned a chance to get on the scoresheet when he volleyed over from close-range after controlling the ball with his chest.

Alonso, impressing for the second week on the trot, then hit the woodwork with a tremendous shot from distance just before the break.

O'Brien made his Wanderers debut after replacing Cid during the interval.

The hosts strated strongly and Alonso counted himself rather unfortunate not to see his header from Diouf's great cross go in.

But Wanderers got the goal their endeavour deserved nine minutes after the restart when Anelka got on the end of a loose ball after the Toffees defence failed to sufficiently clear Diouf's cross. The Frenchman's strike was hit with power as it sailed beyond Howard and into the back of the net.

Wanderers were taking control of the game and looking the more likely to grab a winner.

Captain Kevin Nolan should have got the next goal but skewed his effort from Anelka's pinpoint cross.

Both sides then had their chances. Alonso forced Howard into make a vital block before Jaaskelainen spared the blushes of Meite when the Ivorian defender gifted possession to Johnson, only for the big Finn to concede a corner.

But just as the game looked destined for a draw, Lescott ran onto the end of Gravesen's corner to send David Moyes' men to the Barclays Premier League's second spot.