Everton 1 Swansea 0:EVERTON FINALLY managed to beat a promoted side at the third time of asking, Leon Osman's second-half winner breaking Swansea's resistance on the ground where QPR won on opening day and Norwich drew last week.

The three points mean Everton leapfrog Swansea in mid-table, and it was hard to argue the Welsh side deserved anything else after setting themselves up defensively and barely managing a shot. Though Swansea were a disappointment, their plan almost worked, mainly due to Everton’s well-documented inability to turn pressure into goals.

For a long time it appeared the game might not be able to produce an incident worthy of note. Eventually, as the interval approached, Everton chances arrived in quick succession. First Johnny Heitinga headed over from Tony Hibbert’s cross, then Drenthe cut in to arrow in a cross from which Louis Saha sent a glancing header just inches wide.

Magaye Gueye, the Everton substitute, wasted an excellent Leighton Baines cutback and a clear opportunity by rolling his shot just where Michel Vorm could reach it.

The goalkeeper made a good save but could only parry the shot, and Swansea had an escape when Magaye crashed the rebound against Ashley Williams’s raised arm. It would have been a harsh penalty, but when Williams deliberately handled the ball again a yard outside the area two minutes later, Kevin Friend penalised him with a free-kick.

Routledge opened the second half with Swansea’s first shot on goal, Baines blocking an effort that would have been on target. Baines produced another inviting low cut-back but there was no one to meet it, and when a quickly taken free-kick briefly caught the Swansea defence off guard, all Osman could manage was the meekest of toe pokes.

Osman made amends, though, climbing high to head Everton into the lead from Drenthe’s corner on the hour. Howard had just one more Swansea effort to deal with, a Danny Graham header, and Drenthe made way for Tim Cahill 10 minutes from time to a standing ovation.

EVERTON: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines, Coleman (Gueye 31), Fellaini, Neville, Drenthe (Cahill 80), Osman, Saha (Stracqualursi 75). Subs not used: Mucha, McFadden, Distin, Barkley.

SWANSEA: Vorm, Richards, Williams, Caulker, Taylor (Rangel 45), Routledge, Gower (Agustien 46), Britton (Lita 74), Allen, Sinclair, Graham. Subs not used: Tremmel, Dobbie, Monk, Moore. Booked: Williams, Routledge.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).