Idal Tal blasted his first goal for Everton just two minutes after coming on as a substitute in this ferocious relegation battle.

The tall winger arrived in England last October, an unknown Israeli who cost boss Walter Smith £700,000.

It has taken him almost three months to finally find the net but his priceless equaliser could play a major part of Everton's battle to avoid relegation.

It was a pretty eventful entrance for Tal, because seconds before his goal, he had been flattened by Paul Ince, the challenge costing the Boro skipper one of six bookings.

Certainly Everton deserved their point. Blasted for lack of passion in their FA Cup humiliation by Tranmere Saturday, Everton produced fight and pride to haul themselves back into a fierce showdown.

Middlesbrough are still unbeaten under coach Terry Venables, and their commitment and effort showed why.

Twice they were ahead, but on each occasion, Everton clawed their way back to regain the pride they lost so badly by being beaten by their First Division neighbours.

This was the night when the dream ticket front pairing of Duncan Ferguson and Kevin Campbell got together for the first time, and with it came the sheer effort that Everton had been accused of not showing in their abject FA Cup defeat.

But Boro have proved to be a tough nut to crack under Venables, resolute defending in depth and high speed breaks have been the key to their mini-revival.

Despite Everton having considerable possession and being driven forward by the all-action Thomas Gravesen, Boro frequently looked to have the edge in guile and skill.

The danger signs were there, certainly in the air, from early on when Boro's first serious effort came when Ugo Ehiogu reached but couldn't direct a header from a Paul Ince free kick.

Naysmith had to charge down a Ricard angled drive before Boro' surged into an 11th minute lead.

Christian Karembeu launched an angled cross from the right, which Alen Boksic headed across goal for Ricard to nod in right on the line, Everton's defence not competing at any point in the air.

That goal failed to dishearten Everton, who maintained good possession and forcing Boro back, Joe-Max Moore having an impressive game in an unfamiliar midfield role.

The chances started to come, with Gough sending a low header from Gravesen's corner touched round a post by Mark Schwarzer.

Everything was aimed at the massive frame of Ferguson, and his combative approach caused problems in the heart of Boro's defence.

Steve Vickers was booked for flattening Moore on 20 minutes, and a minute later Dean Gordon was also shown the yellow card for pulling back Steve Watson.

Ferguson's style meant the game became increasingly physical, and being played at such a pace there were a string of clashes and collisions.

Referee Graham Barber had to deal with several such incidents, including a couple of penalty appeals when Naysmith and then Ferguson were sent crashing.

But for all Everton's fire, it was the touch and skill of Boro's foreigners which threatened all night.

Karembeu picked out Boksic again with a long crossfield ball, the Croatian chested it down and saw his shot blocked by Weir, with Paul Okon drilling the rebound wide.

Another Ince free kick curled in from the right was met by Colin Cooper but he managed to flick the ball wide.

Gravesen's all-action, scurrying midfield performance was typical of Everton's play. There was massive effort but little end product, while Boro's economy of effort and positioning quickly regained possession and set up far more dangerous counter-attacks.

Weir, Ricard and Ince clashed in a nasty skirmish straight after the break, calmed down eventually by Barber, and that sort of confrontation continued to set the tone for the night.

Everton were level on 49 minutes. Watson's cross curled into the box and under pressure from Campbell, Schwarzer dropped the ball. Naysmith was quickest to react, nodding the ball into the net.

The Aussie keeper raced almost to the halfway line to argue with Barber, and was booked for his troubles.

The mayhem continued and seconds later Ricard was flattened in a collision with Naysmith and Gravesen, and led from the field clearly angry at what looked like a smack in the face and a possible broken nose that needed a towel to mop up the blood.

Noel Whelan was soon on as substitute to join the near open warfare that was raging. Gianluca Festa was next into the fray on 57 minutes for Gordon.

Watson went into the book for a foul on Cooper on 60 minutes, and two minutes later the Boro' defender had regained the lead. Curtis Fleming's deep cross from the right was met by Thomas Myhre's fists some 12 yards out under pressure from Boksic. The 'keeper didn't get a clean punch or any real distance, and it was Cooper who sent a looping header back over the Norwegian and Naysmith on the line.

Venables went for more strength in midfield now when he replaced Karembeu with Robbie Mustoe on 68 minutes as Boro' dug in.

But when Tal replaced Gravesen with 15 minutes left, Everton found the attacking spark to save them.

Moore's corner from the left reached Tal, unmarked beyond the far post, and he cooly brought the ball down and lashed it inside the near post for the equaliser.

Teams:

Everton: Myhre, Steve Watson, Gough, Weir, Ball, Naysmith, Gemmill, Gravesen (Tal 76), Ferguson, Moore (Xavier 88),Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Unsworth, Simonsen, Cadamarteri.

Booked: Steve Watson.

Goals: Naysmith 49, Tal 79.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Vickers, Cooper, Ehiogu, Gordon (Festa 58), Ince, Okon, Karembeu (Mustoe 68), Boksic, Ricard (Whelan 55).

Subs Not Used: Deane, Crossley.

Booked: Vickers, Gordon, Schwarzer, Ince, Ehiogu, Cooper.

Goals: Ricard 11, Cooper 63.

Att: 34,244

Ref: G Barber (Tring).