adminDavid Moyes suffered defeat on his return to Goodison Park against Roberto Martinez’s vibrant Everton side.
A strike from Kevin Mirallas after Leighton Baines scored from the spot, secured the spoils for the Toffees.
The result took Moyes’s bleak record to one win in 12 against teams currently in the top six, and was United’s tenth defeat in 22 games in all competitions since the turn of the year.
It also meant Everton have done the double over United for the first time since the 1969-70 season and the Toffees remain a point behind Arsenal, in the fourth Champions League spot, with three games to play.
Everton took the lead after 28 minutes as Leighton Baines fired past David de Gea from the spot.
Romelu Lukaku’s shot from the edge of the area fired into Phil Jones, who handled, picking up a booking, to allow Baines the chance to convert against the side who tried to sign him in the summer.
And the England left back responded calmly beating the Spanish keeper.
United, unable to cope with the breaking runs of Naismith, Lukaku and Mirallas, were threatened continually in the early periods.
Everton then doubled their lead through Mirallas just before half time.
The Belgium forward was played through by Seamus Coleman, and played onside by United full-back Alexander Buttner, before finishing from a tight angle leaving de Gea with no chance.
An Everton supporter was kicked out of the ground just before the break, for dressing up as the Grim Reaper.
United improved in the second half but were unable to force an opening as the home side continued to threaten on the break.
In an earlier game, Arsenal kept control of the destiny of the fourth and final Champions League spot as Lukas Podolski scored twice in a comfortable win at Hull.
Arsenal were given a fright early on when Shane Long blazed over.
But the Gunners took control as Santi Cazorla set up Aaron Ramsey to fire in and Podolski buried a half-volley.
Podolski turned in a loose ball after the break and Hull never threatened to peg back their FA Cup final opponents. — Online
Online Reporter