Everton 2 Tottenham 2: Tim Howard And Cahill Ensure Share Of The Points

An injury-time penalty save from Tim Howard helped Everton hold on to a draw against Tottenham Hotspur in a sensational afternoon at Goodison Park.

Second-half finishes from Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson looked to have helped Spurs win on Sunday but David Moyes's men had clearly not read the script as late goals from Louis Saha and Tim Cahill seemed to have earned them a point.

However, Tony Hibbert then clashed with Wilson Palacios in the box and referee Andre Marriner pointed to the spot but Howard saved with his legs to round off a brilliantly entertaining afternoon on Merseyside.

REACTION:
Everton manager Moyes seemed to have aged 10 years by the time he spoke to the media after this match as he tried to sum up a thrilling afternoon's football.

He was understandably delighted with the way Howard had managed to rescue a point for his side but also praised the tenacity of his players for never giving up even after Dawson's header seemed to give Spurs an unassailable lead.

He said: "It was a vital save and it was important because the players hard tried incredibly hard and never gave in and stuck at it.

"We tried to get back into the game rather than just accept it and we earned a bit of fortune when we needed it.

"Tim works hard and we try and do all we can to help but he is a very good goalkeeper and he should make those penalty saves because he is very agile and very quick.

"It could be an important point for the season because the players are seeing that we need to stick together and work hard and we have a great team spirit."

Moyes's mood was in direct contrast to Harry Redknapp's who seemed completely stunned by the last 12 minutes of this match.

He could not fathom how his side had squandered a 2-0 lead but did not want to blame Defoe in the end, preferring to criticise his men for taking their foot off Everton's throat when they were there for the taking.

He said: "I couldn't see anyway for them to come back at 2-0 and I thought we would score again.

"They pulled a goal back through poor defending but that gave the crowd a lift and at 2-1 it was a different game.

"You can't ask for a better chance than the penalty but it wasn't to be."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
This was a stunning rollercoaster of a contest that will be remembered by those present for years to come. After a niggly first half which saw several bad tackles that truly tested the patience of Marriner, Spurs took the lead after the break as Defoe continued his current lethal form with a poacher's strike at the nearpost. Everton fell asleep, or perhaps failed to wake up after the break, and Defoe ghosted in to slam past Howard. That seemed to shatter the home side but not as much as Dawson's terrific diving header close to the hour mark which seemed to have sealed it.

However, Everton may be short of players but they are not short of tenacity. A double substitution from Moyes was the classic last roll of the dice as he brought Louis Saha and Yakubu on but his gamble paid off. Saha got Everton back into it when Spurs got lazy in defence allowing him to slot home before Cahill nodded in a misdirected Baines shot. That seemed to be that until the last seconds when Hibbert clobbered into Palacios to give away a penalty. But Howard was not to be beaten for a third time in the match and brilliantly blocked with his legs to send most of Goodison Park home supporters happy.

WHAT IT MEANS:
It means that Everton fans can smile again and Arsenal supporters will not be too upset either. The draw will boost the confidence of Moyes's men to a massive and potentially season-changing degree. They went toe-to-toe with a team that spent £60m in the summer and were forced to face them with what was effectively a second XI but even though they went 2-0 down they battled back. No side in the world could fail to be buoyed by such a result.

For Tottenham, their failure to hold on to their lead - and Defoe's failure to then regain it - means that Arsenal stay one place above their biggest rivals. If Spurs do want to be classed as genuine top-four contenders, they need to learn how to close games out. They did not do that here and that will be a cause for concern to the White Hart Lane faithful.

QUOTABLE:
"You don't want me saying that do you? There were Scotsman in the crowd today chanting 'USA!'!
- Moyes jokes about whether he would want the American Howard to save a penalty against England in the World Cup next year.

EVERTON 2 (Saha 78, Cahill 86 ) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (Defoe 47, Dawson 59)

PLAYER MARKING
Everton (4-4-2): Howard 8; Neill 6, Yobo 6 (Coleman 15, 7), Hibbert 6, Baines 6; Pienaar7, Rodwell 6 (Yakubu 62, 6), Fellaini 7, Bilyaletdinov 6, Cahill 7; Jo 6 (Saha 62, 7).
Subs (not used): Nash, Duffy, Agard, Baxter.

Tottenham Hotspur(4-4-2): Gomes 7; Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Bassong 7, Assou-Ekotto 6 (Bale 46, 6); Lennon 6, Palacios 7 (Hutton 90, 5), Huddlestone 7, Kranjcar 6 (Jenas 86, 6);Crouch 6, Defoe 6.
Subs (not used) Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Alnwick.

ATTENDANCE:34,003

NEXT UP:
- Everton v Chelsea (Away), Premier League, 12/09, 1500 GMT
- Tottenham v Wolverhampton (Home), Premier League, 12/09 1500 GMT

MAN OF THE MATCH:
Tim Howard (Everton): Just like Shay Given had been for Manchester City the day before. Howard may have left it late but that does not matter. It was a crucial intervention and the perfect ending to a fine game.