BEFORE last night Darron Gibson was the answer to a quirky pub question.

His first goal in an Everton shirt ensures he's still the answer, but he now has another claim to fame – he scores goals from midfield, too.

The former Manchester United midfielder has the longest unbeaten run of any current Premier League player – 18 matches since he last tasted defeat in a league match before last night.

And his deflected 60th minute strike ensured that curious claim to fame survived.

But while the win was enormously welcome, so too was the prospect of what the strike hints at in the future.

Everton have craved a regular midfield marksman ever since Gary Speed left for Newcastle.

And while Gibson came with a reputation for enjoying a long range shot, his first three Everton appearances saw the sum total of just one scuffed effort across goal in Friday's Cup tie.

That all changed last night.

Within minutes of wildly celebrating his first Everton goal Gibson miscued another right-footer wide of the target, then a couple of minutes on again connected much more sweetly with a left footed volley which flew narrowly wide.

When Jack Rodwell is fit again that will give David Moyes a more testing question to answer, but they're the kind of dilemmas managers crave.

The question no-one has come up with the answer to yet is exactly what kind of mood Royston Drenthe is going to turn up in on any given day.

Roberto Mancini left Goodison Park after 63 minutes last Friday night – two minutes before the little Dutchman entered the fray against Fulham.

Maybe Mancini felt he knew all he needed to about Everton's erratic but inspirational winger.

And little he did in the opening hour told him anything different.

But Drenthe makes things happen.

And it was his decisive burst which ultimately inspired the opening from which Gibson struck.

He showed an explosive burst of pace to carry the ball forward and set City back on their heels, then after sizing up a shot, sensibly passed the ball out to Baines. His cross flicked off a City defender's head to Donovan. The enormously impressive American touched it back to Gibson and his shot skipped off Barry as it flew into the Gwladys Street net.

Of course Drenthe didn't stop there.

Sixteen minutes later he kicked out at Micah Richards after an extravagant flick over his head was swiftly closed down by the City defender.

He could have received more than a booking, and Moyes decided that would be his last act, introducing Jose Baxter.

But regardless of the personnel, Everton's enthusiasm and desire was simply unquenchable.

And for the second match in succession that was epitomised by the effervescent Argentinian, Denis Stracqualursi.

Denied a second goal only by a goalline clearance by Lescott, he led from the front.

He fired the crowd up with one robust challenge on Lescott and then another firm but fair challenge on Joe Hart rattled the young City keeper and added to the decibel level.

Occasionally ungainly and off target with a few wild efforts, he gave as accomplished a central defensive duo as Kompany and Lescott an uncomfortable evening.

But that's typical of Manchester City's visits to Goodison Park.

They say form is temporary, class is permanent. But while City possess the classier players, they just can't get the better of the Blues on their own turf.

City have celebrated just two wins in 20 years on the blue half of Merseyside, but even since City started spending money like water they've lost five out of seven at Goodison Park.

And once again there was no doubting Everton deserved their victory.

Everton showed spirit, enthusiasm, courage and a willingness to run the extra yard – and ultimately that proved more valuable than City's flair, polish and possession.

There were heroes everywhere.

David Moyes decided that Shane Duffy's youthful naivety was too much of a risk against seasoned international strikers of the quality of Sergio Aguero and David Silva.

But if Tony Hibbert and Johnny Heitinga was an unconventional central defensive partnership, it provided a magnificent platform on which this latest victory was constructed.

Marouane Fellaini built on the improved form he showed against Fulham – and even tossed in his trademark pirouette, first paraded against Manchester City two years ago.

It must have made for an exciting first impression of his new employers for Nikica Jelavic, introduced at half-time to an enthusiastic welcome and watching attentively from the Main Stand.

A victory over the league leaders, and a new centre-forward to look forward to . . . it was a marvellous night for Evertonians.

To use his metaphor from the first meeting between these sides this season, David Moyes took a knife to a gunfight.

But it was City who sustained the flesh wounds once again.