Duncan Ferguson returned to spark Everton's drive for a Champions League place
and leave Middlesbrough still searching for their first win of 2005.
Everton boss David Moyes introduced Ferguson, who had just completed a
three-match ban, to the fray with 17 minutes of the game remaining and with his
side trailing 1-0 to a Boudewijn Zenden goal, and he made an immediate impact.
The giant Scot not only set up the equaliser for Tim Cahill within two minutes
of his arrival at the Riverside, but also sparked a 16-man melee and came close
to a winner.
Everton may be lamenting the loss of their midfield lynchpin in Thomas
Gravesen to Real Madrid for £2.45million this week, but in Ferguson they have a
man who can fire up the team on any occasion.
Moyes' side may still be without an away win since mid-November, but they are
crucially seven points clear of Merseyside rivals Liverpool in what is fast
becoming a vital fourth place in the table, with Boro a further point adrift of
the Anfield outfit.
Moyes had earlier been given a lift when Middlesbrough were forced to regroup
with less than 18 minutes of the first half elapsed, following a quiet start
from both sides.
Centre-back Ugo Ehiogu, who has suffered an injury-riddled season and was
making his first Premiership start since September 11, again limped off to be
replaced by veteran Colin Cooper.
Boro were still coming to terms with the change when Everton came within a
whisker of taking the lead, with Kevin Kilbane sparking the danger.
The Republic of Ireland international had earlier whipped in a vicious
delivery from the left that was met by a stooping header from James Beattie,
making his Premiership bow in a Toffees shirt, that Mark Schwarzer juggled before collecting at
the second time of asking.
Schwarzer, though, was beaten but relieved in the 19th minute when a
fast-arriving Carsley clipped the top of the crossbar with a volley on the slide
from seven yards after Kilbane had provided another piercing cross from the
left.
Boro, who had enjoyed greater possession in the early exchanges without
creating, then perhaps should have had a 23rd-minute penalty when Jimmy Floyd
Hasselbaink beautifully turned inside David Weir in receiving a through ball
from Doriva just inside the area.
Weir then clearly held the arm of Hasselbaink as he tried to drive in a shot,
but the incident was not spotted by referee Dermot Gallagher and it allowed Tony
Hibbert to produce a superb sliding tackle on the Dutchman to avert the danger.
But inside two minutes Boro were ahead, with Everton's defence carved open by
a superb weighted pass in behind the backline from Hasselbaink.
Zenden, who had stole in behind Hibbert, proceeded to flight home his sixth
goal of the season over the advancing Richard Wright from an awkward angle, with
skipper Alan Stubbs ending up in the back of the net with the ball as his
attempted clearance hit the underside of the bar.
The game then flowed from end to end without either side creating a worthwhile
chance until five minutes before the break when Boro came close to a second,
with Hasselbaink shaving the woodwork with a rising drive.
Marcus Bent then brought off a point-blank save from Schwarzer with an angled
first-time shot after a bobbling ball had found its way into his path moments
before Hibbert earned the first caution of the game with a late challenge on
Franck Queudrue.
Schwarzer was grateful to claim the first chance of the second half as a free
header from Alan Stubbs was glanced into his grasp from eight yards after Lee
Carsley had found his captain with a chipped free kick.
Boro then took control for a 20-minute period, with Michael Reiziger, Zenden
twice and Hasselbaink coming close before all their pressure was nearly undone
by Schwarzer.
The Australia international made a hash of collecting another Kilbane cross,
dropping the ball onto the toe of Beattie for a stabbed shot from eight yards
that hit the right-hand post before Queudrue then hacked clear with the ball
trickling towards the goal-line.
Then came Ferguson's introduction in the 74th minute, and just two minutes
later he was left unmarked to knock a far post cross from Hibbert into the path
of Cahill to sidefoot home the equaliser from eight yards.
A rash Ferguson challenge on Schwarzer after he dropped the ball sparked a
brawl in theback of the Boro neat involving players from both sides.
Ferguson then almost lifted his hero status with a drive that spun off
Queudrue but was narrowly wide of the post, leaving both sides to settle for a
point.
Teams
Middlesbrough Schwarzer, Reiziger, Ehiogu (Cooper 17),
Southgate, Queudrue, Nemeth (Morrison 59), Doriva, Zenden,
Downing, Job, Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Nash, McMahon, Graham.
Booked: Zenden.
Goals: Zenden 26.
Everton Wright, Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Pistone,
Yobo (Ferguson 74), Carsley, Cahill (Naysmith 86), Kilbane,
Beattie (McFadden 89), Bent.
Subs Not Used: Chadwick, Turner.
Booked: Hibbert, Beattie.
Goals: Cahill 76.
Att: 31,794
Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
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