Cahill clinches group for Everton

LONDON, England -- Tim Cahill sent Everton into the last 32 of the UEFA Cup as Group A winners on Wednesday when his late goal finally unlocked unlucky 10-man Zenit St Petersburg at Goodison Park.

Russian champions Zenit were reduced to 10 men for the last hour when Nicolas Lombaerts was sent off for a ridiculous handling decision that also cost his side a penalty.

Zenit's Dutch coach Dick Advocaat will have believed that justice was done when Mikel Arteta blazed the spot-kick over the bar -- Everton's third penalty miss in the competition this season.

However, Cahill's 84th minute scrambled strike -- and the fact that AZ Alkmaar lost 2-1 at Nurnberg -- means Everton will be seeded in the draw and avoid the third-placed clubs from the Champions League.

The goal came when Arteta's corner dropped into a packed box where Joleon Lescott's shot was superbly saved by Vyacheslav Malafeev on the line, only for Cahill to force the ball over the line.

It was a bitter blow for Zenit who had battled after Lombaerts' dismissal.

The Belgian defender threw himself in the way of a Cahill shot at the near post and the ball looked to hit his thigh and chest before deflecting behind.

But Icelandic referee Kristinn Jakobsson stunned the Russians by sending off Lombaerts and pointing to the spot.

Malafeev later needed to produce a fine save to turn away a 25-meter Arteta free-kick and in the 37th minute Lee Carsley hit the post from 20 meters in a tie that later threatened to boil over.

A brace of goals from substitute Marek Mintal gave Nurnberg victory over AZ Alkmaar and revived their hopes of joining Everton in the last 32.

AZ had taken the lead at the EasyCredit Stadion with a strike from midfielder Demy De Zeeuw in the 29th minute. But Mintal struck back with goals in the 83rd and 85th minute to give Hans Meyer`s side their first win of the campaign.

Aberdeen were the beneficiaries as Atletico Madrid clinched their spot in the last 32 with an efficient 2-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in their Group B clash in the Danish capital.

Atletico, who had picked up four points from their opening two Group B games against Lokomotiv Moscow and Aberdeen, sealed the points thanks to goals from Simao Sabrosa and Sergio Aguero in either half.

A win for Aberdeen in the clash with Copenhagen at Pittodrie on December 20 will take the Scottish side through, after Panathinaikos defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 -- a result that eliminates the Russians.

Jon Dahl Tomasson netted both goals as Villarreal progressed with a 2-0 home victory over Elfsborg in Group C.

Tomasson, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord back in 2002, scored at the start of each half to guarantee the in-form Spanish outfit a spot in the next round with a game to spare.

In the same group, AEK Athens boosted their chances of progressing as Tam Nsaliwa's second-half goal gave them a hard-fought 1-0 win at Mlada Boleslav.

Two late goals saw Hamburg maintain their 100 percent record in this season's UEFA Cup and book their place in the next round following a 2-0 victory at Dinamo Zagreb in Group D.

The hosts battled hard all night but could not get the goal they deserved and Nigel De Jong headed his side in front on 88 minutes before Piotr Trochowski's penalty sealed the victory.

FC Basle progressed from the same group with a narrow 1-0 victory over SK Brann at St Jakob Park. Midfielder Carlos Alberto Carlitos grabbed the decisive goal for Christian Gross' team with a goal from a free-kick in the first half. E-mail to a friend