Everton 1, Man City 2: Ecstasy to agony for Blues true gentleman

But like the Australian two years ago, Jagielka, who must have dreamed that his season would end with him holding the FA Cup aloft beneath Wembley's great arch, is now having to face up to a summer of rehabilitation.

It will be a test of character for the affable Mancunian for sure but he's had plenty of those before and has always come back better and stronger.

Jagielka is of course the boy who was released by Everton as a youngster but fought his way back to Goodison Park after serving his senior football apprenticeship with Sheffield United.

Even after sealing his dream move he suffered setbacks and after struggling for form in midfield, he saw his first team chances limited in his early months under Moyes.

Biding his time and working hard on his game, Jagielka returned midway through last season to cement his place in the side as a centre-back and by the summer he was in the England team.

Almost a year and more than 40 excellent performances further on he hadn't looked back until this cruel blow.

He'll now be wearing a suit rather than a royal blue jersey but Jagielka might still get the chance to lift the FA Cup above his head in May - he's certainly played as big a part as any individual if Everton are to triumph.

Indeed, if Moyes's men are to upset the odds again against Chelsea at Wembley they should ask the game's authorities to give them a golden trophy rather than a silver one given the adversity they've come through.

Not only would the Goodison Park outfit have defeated four of the only five clubs in the country above them in the league to win the Cup, they'll have done so without their most prolific striker Ayegbeni Yakubu, their most creative midfielder Mikel Arteta and now their most consistent defender Jagielka - all victims to injury.

Everton might not have suffered a Wembley hangover last Wednesday in their 'Cup Final dress rehearsal' at Stamford Bridge but like the unfortunate Jagielka's knee, the last party balloons from their United success popped against their cross-town rivals City at Goodison Park on Saturday.

This was supposed to be the joyous homecoming for Moyes's heroic battlers but while the team were given a tumultuous reception on their arrival, the cheering stopped after the action began.

City's last win at Goodison had come back in 1992 during the Premier League's first season but they always looked the more likely to break the deadlock on this occasion as Everton struggled to work any openings in the first half.

Visiting fans sang "We've got Robinho" throughout and while the initial response might have been "So what?" given the general underachieving nature of the talented Brazilian during his debut year on these shores, on this occasion he showed just why the 'world's richest club' shelled out a British record transfer fee of £32.5million for his services.

Latching on to a perfectly-placed first time pass from his compatriot Elano following a header by Joseph Yobo, Robinho raced clear on goal on 35 minutes.

Although he was driven wide by Jagielka he still managed to get his shot win which he forced through Howard's legs to score.

Everton came out more determined after the break with Castillo flashing a header across goal from a left-wing corner-kick by Steven Pienaar while Fellaini will have been disappointed to have allowed Shay Given any chance at all to make a world-class save from point blank range to deny the Belgian a volleyed effort with the South African again the provider.

As the hosts pressed for an equaliser, City caught them with a classic counter-attack on 54 minutes when they broke from a shot by Castillo which was closed down.

The ball found its way to Robinho on the left flank and he picked out Stephen Ireland on the far side of the area and the 22-year-old who has been Eastlands' biggest success story of this season was presented with a simple finish.

Moyes made a bold statement of intent to try and revive Everton's fortunes with a triple substitution on the hour-mark with Dan Gosling, Cahill and James Vaughan replacing Castillo, Fellaini and Saha but the gamble did not pay off as four minutes later Jagielka was stretchered off leaving the home side with 10 men.

With captain Phil Neville forced to operate as a makeshift centre-back, that should have been the cue for City to stroll their way to victory but unnecessarily they got nasty with a string of ill-tempered incidents involving sly fouls and pushing and shoving.

Referee Alan Wiley seemed to lose control somewhat as tempers flared and Everton were left incensed on several occasions, including when former player Richard Dunne handled a Leighton Baines cross in the area but no penalty was awarded.

City could have gone even further ahead but Ireland fluffed an easy chance and while both sides were welcoming the prospect of the final whistle, an additional seven minutes were added to shock Goodison even more.

There was almost the unlikeliest of comebacks when midway through the elongated stoppage time substitute Gosling fired home a crisp left-foot finish from the edge of the area after being picked out by Pienaar - a goal in very different circumstances to his last one at the Park End - but despite Vincent Kompany being forced into conceding a late corner the Everton cavalry charge could not find another breakthrough.

Moyes' men still have a further four fixtures to fulfil before the latest FA Cup Final on May 30 but given that he cannot wrap his remaining fit players in cotton wool until then the Scot could be forgiven for hoping it was put back even further - by several months perhaps?