Aston Villa collected a vital three points in their battle against relegation thanks to a 3-2 win over Everton this afternoon.

Two first-half goals from Christian Benteke put the hosts in command, before Romelu Lukaku pulled a goal back for the away side after the restart.

Tom Cleverley's second goal in as many outings then restored Villa's two-goal advantage, with Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka weighing in with a late consolation.

Here, Sports Mole rates the performances of all of the players that were on show at Villa Park.

Goal

Shay Given: Preferred to Brad Guzan, the veteran goalkeeper had very little to do. He went the right way for the penalty, but could not reach it, and was arguably fouled for the second goal. (6/10)

Defence

Kieran Richardson: He may not be a left-back by trade, but Richardson is showing signs of understanding the position better with every passing game. (6/10)

Ron Vlaar: Usually a composed defender, Vlaar was a little rash today. He gave a needless penalty away and almost conceded another late on. (5/10)

Jores Okore: With his partner making errors, Okore was a solid influence on the Villa defence. He handled the threat of Lukaku well. (6/10)

Leandro Bacuna: Whether he plays at full-back or on the wing, Bacuna rarely lets Villa down. It was another good display from the Dutchman, who assisted his side's third goal with a great pass. (7/10)

Midfield

Ashley Westwood: While his fellow midfielders may have produced more eye-catching displays, Westwood was quietly effective. He kept things ticking over with some neat passes. (6/10)

Fabian Delph: The England international keeps on getting better and better under Tim Sherwood's management. His left foot caused problems all afternoon, while he started numerous attacks with positive runs into Everton territory. (8/10)

Tom Cleverley: Not wanted by Manchester United, Cleverley is making himself a hit with the Villa fans. Another confident display was rounded off by a good goal. (7/10)

Charles N'Zogbia: Perhaps the most disappointing of Villa's attacking midfielders, N'Zogbia struggled to make a big impact on proceedings over the course of the 90 minutes. (5/10)

Jack Grealish: Some youngsters are full of tricks but provide little end product - that is not the case with Grealish. Everton could not contend with his corners, while his positive approach started many attacks. (7/10)

Attack

Christian Benteke: A great example of how to play as a lone centre-forward. He held the ball up well, bullied the Everton centre-backs and was clinical when required. (8/10)

Substitutes

Carlos Sanchez: Brought on for his industrious qualities as Villa looked to play out the final few minutes, and the Colombian did not disappoint. (6/10)

Alan Hutton: Back to full fitness, it seemed that the right-back had not been away as he made a number of positive runs forward. (6/10)

Joe Cole: Came on with only a few minutes left and did little during that time. (5/10)

Goal

Tim Howard: With his defenders at sixes and sevens in front of him, there was little that Howard could do to prevent any of Villa's goals. (6/10)

Defence

Leighton Baines: For whatever reason, the left-back does not get forward with such effectiveness these days. It was the same story today, although it was a steady showing. (6/10)

Phil Jagielka: Everton needed someone to lead from set-piece situations and no doubt looked to their England international, but he did not deliver. (5/10)

John Stones: With Benteke pulling on to Jagielka, Stones did not have too much to do. Having said that, he did make a couple of impressive interceptions. (6/10)

Seamus Coleman: The Irishman linked well with Lennon down the right flank during the first half, but his threat petered out after the restart. (6/10)

Midfield

Gareth Barry: Back at his former club, Barry was roundly jeered. It seemed to hamper his performance as well, with a number of simple passes going astray. (5/10)

James McCarthy: As to be expected from McCarthy, he covered plenty of ground in the Everton midfield and won a number of challenges. (7/10)

Steven Naismith: Reinstated to the starting lineup, the Scot won his side a penalty, but that was about it before he was substituted in the closing stages. (6/10)

Aaron Lennon: The Tottenham Hotspur loanee started the game well, but after that he struggled to get involved and barely featured at all in the second half. (5/10)

Kevin Mirallas: The Belgian was a livewire earlier in the season, but he failed to light up this encounter. He looked like a player who wanted to be elsewhere. (4/10)

Attack

Romelu Lukaku: He was arguably his team's best player after the restart as he kept his cool from the spot to bring Everton back into the game. (6/10)

Substitutes

Ross Barkley: Everton's display livened up with his late introduction, but it was too little, too late. (6/10)

Leon Osman: Like Barkley, the veteran midfielder helped to brighten up Everton's display. He had one shot that called Given into action. (6/10)