Ferguson helps Everton to draw at Riverside

Middlesbrough 1 Everton 1

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 debut, 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.