Sunderland climbed out of the bottom three in the Premier League courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon.

The visitors rode their luck on the way to the three points, with Danny Graham and Jermain Defoe both scoring deflected goals either side of James McCarthy hitting the post.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who stood out during a remarkable match on Merseyside.

EVERTON

Goal

Tim Howard: Left helpless by deflections for both goals having been a spectator for the vast majority of the match. (6/10)

Defence

Seamus Coleman: Looked the most likely player to find a breakthrough for his side in the second half, continually bombing forward and posing a constant attacking threat. Relished having Defoe up against him and was very unlucky not to win a penalty for his side. (8/10)

John Stones: Did not have much to do as Everton bossed possession, but was aggressive in trying to win the ball when it did come towards him. Not much he could have done about either goal. (6/10)

Phil Jagielka: Like the rest of his defence, was powerless to prevent both goals. Put in a solid showing in open play and was a threat in the opposition box too. (6/10)

Leighton Baines: Heavily involved in the first half as he was afforded space by Defoe. Like Coleman in the second half, he got forward whenever possible, but his delivery from set pieces was often disappointing. (7/10)

Midfield

Gareth Barry: Went about his business quietly in the heart of midfield, but did not have much to do in terms of mopping up Sunderland attacks as they were few and far between. (6/10)

James McCarthy: A dynamic performance in the middle of the park, particularly as the second half wore on. Hit the post with a fine drive and linked up well with Lukaku for another chance shortly after. (7/10)

Aaron Lennon: Anonymous in the first half, with most of Everton's work coming down the left. More involved after the break, but came off second best against Van Aanholt. (5/10)

Ross Barkley: Always looking to make something happen and slid a few incisive passes in towards Lukaku up front. Ultimately could not find a breakthrough, though. (6/10)

Leon Osman: Involved in everything during the first half especially, pulling the strings for his side and helping them to dominate possession. Had a few sights of goal himself in addition to setting up Lukaku on a couple of occasions. (7/10)

Attack

Romelu Lukaku: Was thwarted by Pantilimon on a couple of occasions in the first half and may feel that he should have scored one. Held the ball up well, but struggled to get the better of Sunderland's dogged defence. (6/10)

Substitutes

Kevin Mirallas: Replaced Barry just after the hour mark and had a few nice touches here and there without coming up with something decisive. (6/10)

Luke Garbutt: Came on for the injured Baines but could not provide the same attacking threat as the England international and also struggled up against Johnson once or twice. (6/10)

Aiden McGeady: Introduced immediately after Sunderland's second goal and did not have enough time to make an impact. (6/10)

SUNDERLAND

Goal

Costel Pantilimon: Kept his side in the match in the first half with fine saves to deny Lukaku and Osman. A little less involved after the break due to the brave defending of those in front of him. (8/10)

Defence

Billy Jones: Struggled up against Baines and Osman in the first half, particularly with Defoe in front of him. Looked more solid after the break, but not the most important member of the back four today. (6/10)

Sebastian Coates: Dealt with the pace and power of Lukaku really well, particularly in the second half. Sunderland were forced into a lot of defending today, but Coates stood up to the challenge. (8/10)

Wes Brown: Back from injury just in time to replace O'Shea and made block after block to protect his side's clean sheet. Threw himself in the way of everything during a heroic display. (8/10)

Patrick van Aanholt: Kept Lennon quiet throughout, matching the winger for pace and continually getting the better of him. Was a threat going forward too, almost scoring a superb solo effort in the second half. (8/10)

Midfield

Sebastian Larsson: Defended valiantly for long spells in a match that required him to spend most of his time chasing the ball. Moved onto the right for the second half and quelled the influence of Baines and Osman. (7/10)

Lee Cattermole: Exactly the type of player you want in a relegation battle. Personified Sunderland's fighting spirit with a fine defensive display that saw him give everything for the cause. (8/10)

Jordi Gomez: Looked to be one of few who may not have been up for the fight during the first half, but that changed at the break. He began putting his body in the way of shots, and also had a say going forward, hitting the shot that deflected off Graham and in. (7/10)

Attack

Jermain Defoe: Stuck out on the right wing in the first half and switched to the left for the second. Wherever he was, his opposition full-back had a field day against him. Defending is not his forte, though, and as soon as he got himself into the box, he scored, albeit rather fortuitously. Was also very lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him. (6/10)

Danny Graham: Not how he would have dreamed of ending a two-year goal drought for the club. Knew nothing about the ball as it deflected off his leg and in, but it is his goal. Held the ball up well in open play despite Everton dominating for long spells. (7/10)

Connor Wickham: Like Defoe on the opposite flank, spent most of his time as a full-back rather than as part of a front three. Coped with the defensive duties better than Defoe, however, working as hard as ever to help his side to the victory. (7/10)

Substitutes

Adam Johnson: Enjoyed a lively 15-minute cameo in which he caused the Everton defence plenty of problems. Also provided the shot that deflected onto Defoe and in. (7/10)

Liam Bridcutt: Came on with just six minutes to go and helped Sunderland to see out the victory. (6/10)

Steven Fletcher: Played his part in the second goal by cutting inside from the right flank and setting up Johnson. (6/10)