Home fans protest as Everton push Villa closer to drop

Football Soccer - Aston Villa v Everton - Barclays Premier League - Villa Park - 1/3/16 Aston Villa's Brad Guzan and Micah Richards are dejected as Everton players celebrate at full time Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge Livepic

LONDON March 1 (Reuters) - Aston Villa took another step towards their almost inevitable relegation on Tuesday when they were beaten 3-1 by Everton at Villa Park where the home fans walked out in protest long before the end.

Thousands left even before a scheduled protest in the 74th minute -- chosen to mark Villa's foundation in 1874 -- and they missed their team's only goal scored by Rudy Gestede five minutes later.

By then the match was long over as a contest, leaving Villa well adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Everton took the lead in the fifth minute when Ramiro Funes Mori headed in a Kevin Mirallas corner. Aaron Lennon made it 2-0 after 30 minutes following a sweeping Everton move before Romelu Lukaku bundled home the third after an hour.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; editing by Toby Davis)