Matt Elliott almost stole the show for Leicester with two goals as stand-in
striker but had to share the honours as Everton defender David Unsworth saved
the Merseysiders' unbeaten home record with a second-half penalty.
Scottish international defender Elliott found himself pressed into service up
front in the absence of the suspended Emile Heskey - and it was a move that
certainly paid dividends.
Martin O'Neill's battling midlanders have had a painful last few weeks, with
only cup wins to warm them.
But Leicester are nothing if not competitive and after going a goal behind
they fought back with Elliott grabbing two in six minutes.
For Everton, though, the draw must be viewed as a chance lost.
On a night when they honoured their Millennium heroes - from Dixie Dean to
Howard Kendall - with special on-pitch awards collected by family, friends, or
in Kendall's case in person with a standing ovation, the current team got swept
up in a knockabout holiday clash.
Everton would have gone seventh if they had won but they were too frantic and
erratic to deserve more than a point.
The game was only seven minutes old when it lost two England internationals
after a sickening collision, with Tim Flowers carried off and Nicky Barmby
helped down the tunnel.
Don Hutchison's chip sent Barmby clear in the box, and the midfielder volleyed
the ball inches over the bar as Flowers charged into him. Both players lay
stricken as Everton players and fans claimed a penalty.
But referee Jeff Winter ignored the pleas, and after lengthy treatment Flowers
went with a damaged right knee - the third time this season that he has been
forced off in a match.
Barmby was able to limp away but he too was suffering from a damaged left
knee, and Scot Gemmill substituted while Pegguy Arphexad took over in the
Leicester goal from Flowers.
Ten minutes later the Frenchman was picking the ball out of the net as Everton
took the lead.
David Weir lashed in a 20-yarder that was clearly on target but hit Hutchison,
wrong-footed the goalkeeper and bounced into the corner of the net.
Weir was the first to be congratulated by his colleagues, who eventually
turned to Hutchison as he too claimed the goal.
Leicester hit back with Theo Zagorakis seeing a shot deflected onto a post
and Robbie Savage claiming bitterly he had been pushed in the box by Richard
Gough.
Weir could have grabbed a second after 25 minutes when Kevin Campbell played
him into the box, but the defender scuffed his shot wide.
A minute later Leicester were level when Zagorakis went on a determined run
through midfield, and when the ball broke free on the edge of the box it was
Elliott who drilled it home.
Six minutes later Elliott, who has played up front before and frequently gets
sent forward in emergencies, scored again.
Gough's poor back header was compounded by Dave Watson's nod back to the
onrushing Paul Gerrard.
The ball then bounced off the goalkeeper for Elliott to
once again be first to the ball before driving Leicester in front.
Everton's attacks, certainly early in the second period, were laboured and
disjointed, and Savage almost grabbed a third after 54 minutes when he embarked
on a long run from right-back before unleashing a low drive from the edge of the
box that Gerrard palmed round a post.
An out-of-sorts Francis Jeffers wasted a clear opening set up by Hutchison -
but Everton were to level up after 56 minutes.
Campbell flicked the ball into the box, and Frank Sinclair clearly handled.
The defender had been booked for a bad tackle just minutes beforehand, but the
referee chose not to show him a second yellow card.
Unsworth stepped up to calmly push home the spot-kick for his fifth goal of
the season.
Leicester hit back when Gerry Taggart charged forward and forced Gerrard into
another full-length save, before Savage also surged into the box to test the
Everton goalkeeper.
American striker Joe Max-Moore took over from Jeffers and could have become an
instant hero had he not failed to react quickly enough to turn in a close-range
chance that hit him and bounced to safety after 80 minutes.
Teams
Everton: Gerrard, Unsworth, Gough, Watson, Weir, Pembridge,
Hutchison, Collins, Barmby (Gemmill 9), Jeffers (Moore 70),Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Ward, Clarke, Simonsen.
Booked: Watson, Pembridge.
Goals: Weir 16, Unsworth 56 pen.
Leicester: Flowers (Arphexad 8), Taggart, Walsh, Sinclair,
Savage, Lennon (Thomas 90), Zagorakis (Campbell 79), Oakes,
Eadie, Elliott, Cottee.
Subs Not Used: Gunnlaugsson, Gilchrist.
Booked: Sinclair.
Goals: Elliott 26, 31.
Att: 30,490
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
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