The home side were made to pay for a catalogue of missed chances as they remained at least four points adrift of leaders Real Madrid who were set to play later.

Despite taking the lead through David Villa, Diego Forlan made it 1-1 before substitute Tomasson changed the game.

After giving Villarreal a shock lead with his first touch, Tomasson then set up Forlan to make it 3-1.

And despite Villa getting a goal back in injury time, Valencia could not find the equaliser as the Yellow Submarine moved up to sixth and into a UEFA Cup spot.

The visitors felt they should have had a penalty when Forlan was upended in the area by Emiliano Moretti with just three minutes gone, but to no avail.

Portugual right-back Miguel went close with a 20-yard effort, before Joaquin's strike from the edge of the area was beaten away by Sebastian Viera.

In the 21st minute, Miguel Angulo played Villa through on goal and he rounded Viera before the Villarreal goalkeeper brought him down.

Villa despatched the resultant penalty with aplomb, low to Viera's right.

Villarreal were left reeling and three minutes later Villa went past his marker with a superb back flick, before firing a low strike which was saved well by Viera.

Jaime Gavilan's corner found Roberto Ayala unmarked, but his header crashed against the crossbar as dominant Valencia continued to press for a second.

The visitors just could not handle Villa's runs and he made space for himself again, but Viera was equal to his left-footed effort.

Villareal made Valencia pay for not taking their chances as Forlan brought them level in exquisite fashion in the 35th minute.

After latching onto Guillermo Franco's clever flick, Forlan cut inside the box and looked to be shaping his body to shoot to the right, but clipped the ball inside Santiago Canizares' near post.

The second half began with Villarreal in charge, but chances were at a premium.

But Valencia sprung back into life midway through the half minutes gone and Jorge Lopez controlled Miguel's cross on his chest, but his effort from close range was superbly saved by Viera.

The Mestalla crowd were left stunned once more, when Lopez lofted the ball over Viera, only for Angulo to somehow contrive to fire over with the goal gaping.

In the 79th minute, Villarreal made Valencia pay for their wastefulness in ruthless fashion.

Having just come on as a substitute, former AC Milan striker Tomasson beat the Valencia offside trap and slipped the ball past Canizares.

Valencia went in desperate search of an equaliser, but with three minutes remaining Villarreal broke and Tomasson's cross-field pass found Forlan, who rounded Canizares before walking the ball into the net.

The goal was cruel on Valencia and in injury time they restored hope when Villa's free-kick from the left evaded a host of bodies in the box on its way past Viera.