Everton vs Middlesbrough

90+3′Ful-time at goodison, and a point each is a fair return for these two sides after an open and entertaining encounter. Both managers have preserved their unbeaten runs.
90+2′ A nice open passage of play as we move into the second of three added minutes, with play going from end-to-end but no real chances being created.
89′ Howard has a hairy moment as he is charged down by Tuncay, but he manages to get a half-clearance away that Everton use to pass their way forward.
87′ Everton are enjoying the majority of the possession as they push for a winner. They will boost their attack by bringing on James Vaughan for Yakubu.
84′ Changes from both sides here, as Boro swap Alves for Emnes and Anichebe comes on in palce of Cahill for Everton.
78′ Saha flicks a ball right into the path of Yakubu. The big Nigerian’s first touch takes him a bit wide of goal but he still SHOOTS… The ball flies across the face of goal! All it needed was a touch.
76′ Saha is double-teamed on the edge of the box but the ball breaks for FELLAINI… Now he blazes a long shot into the stands. This game is poised nicely for a late winner…
74′ Fellaini fouls and Boro take the free-kisk quickly. Downing will shoot from distance… Swiped into the crowd!
73′ Now Everton make a switch, as Pienaar comes on for Osman.
69′ Adam Johnson comes on to replace Arca. Johnson will go wide with O’Neil moving into the middle. Good to see Gareth Southgate going for another goal.
65′ GOAL!! Everton equalise from that free-kick! Arteta’s dangerous ball is swung in and Yakubu knocks it past Turnbull with the back of his head! As soon as Arteta gets his deliveries right, Everton cause some damage.
65′ Digard fouls Arteta on the left wing and has no complaints about being booked.
62′ Arteta lifts a ball out to Neville on the right and the ball comes in first time for SAHA WITH A DIVING HEADER INCHES WIDE!! Greatr move Everton, Turnbull would have had no chance if the header had been on target.
60′ Tuncay teases Yobo out on the touchline with the ball at his feet, and eventually draws the foul. From there they win a throw-in, which Everton clear but it’s all stop-gap measures at the moment.
57′ Osman takes down Arteta’s diagonal ball brilliantly in the box and he works space to SHOOT… Straight at Turnbull! Osman looks guuted, he knows how good a chance that was.
56′ Wheater passes back to Turnbull who aims to clear first time but slices his clearance out for a corner! Call it the commentator’s curse for saying he was in form! Again Everton can’t make anything from the corner.
53′ Another lightning break from an Everton corner and Tuncay does brilliantly to draw in the defenders before relaesing Downing. The ball is pulled back for ARCA.. Struck over the bar!
51′ Riggott has really been in the wars since the break, as he now clashes heads with Saha. David Wheater is stripping off as Everton win the drop ball. Wheater comes on.
48′ Wonderful skill from Saha in the box helps Everton win a corner, but again they fail to make the most of their dead ball situations, something Mikel Arteta has made his name from.
47′ Riggott fouls Yakubu, but in doing so appears to have hurt his knee slightly. He grimaces but will carry on.
46′ No changes for either side as Boro get the second half underway.
45+3′ Half-time at Goodison, and Boro have the lead.
45+1′ Alves feints a backheel and moves to run towards goal, but Cahill trips him and Boro have a free-kick. O’Neil curls it into the box but headed clear. Pogatetz barges Arteta over as the Spaniard tries to break. referee Webb gives him a talking to but nothing more.
44′ This time the corner is a good one and it’s bound for the head of CAHILL… Nodded down into the ground and it bounces wide! Tim Cahill usually gobbles those up.
44′ Chris Riggot’s heads a cross away from Yakubu but it drops to OSMAN… The blasted shot deflects off Riggott for a corner.
42′ Afonso Alves tries one of the most blatant handballs since, well, Bobby Zamora’s yesterday, and Howard Webb was within yards of it and blows for the foul. Unlike Zamora, however, Alves avoids a booking.
40′ The tempo of the match has dipped somewhat in the last five minutes. Yobo dispossesses Alves in the Everton box with stylish ease.
35′ Good spell for Everton now, who have another corner cleared. Arteta’s cross rebounds off Hoyte’s arm, but appeals for a penalty are half-hearted at best and Howard Webb pays no attention.
34′ Everton win another corner from the other side. Arteta knocks it short to Neville who crosses in for YOBO… Headed over the bar! The Nigerian really should have tested Turnbull with a free header.
31′ That set piece was cleared but Boro now take their turn to camp in the opposition half. Fellaini initiates an Everton break. At the other end Fellaini flicks a header into the path of Yakubu. Turnbull slides in and YAKUBU GOES DOWN… NO PENALTY!! Good decsion from the referee, who points for a corner.
29′ O’Neil sends a ball down the right channel for Alves to chase. The Brazilian slips it back to O’Neil, whose firsttime ball is blocked by Jagielka for a corner.
28′ Alves is headed towards goal with the ball, but it gets stuck under his feet and in a flash he is surrounded by blue shirts.
27′ Everton keep the pressure on and win another corner. Yobo and Lescott are up for this… Flicked on by Jagielka at the near post but the ball loops over the bar.
25′ That incident has energised both the Everton players and the crowd, and Boro are wobbling. The home side win a corner and have lots of possession but can’t engineer a clear chance.
22′ Turnbull fails to catch a cross and he watches it rebound off the inside of the post! That sparks off a real scramble in the Boro box and Yakubu and Fellaini have efforts blocked before the danger is cleared!
21′ Jagielka stands motionless with the ball at his feet for a good few seconds. There are just no options for him. Everton looking lacklustre at the moment.
16′ Lescott shields the ball as he tries to see it out of play, but Arca pounces on him and nicks the ball! The move comes to nothing, but after being found way out of position for the goal, Lescott is found wanting again. He’s just not the player he was this time last year. Answers on a postcard if you know what’s happened to him please.
16′ Cahill goes flying in on O’Neil. He is lucky that referee doesn’t deem that a bookable offence.
15′ Arteta baffles Taylor with a couple of stepovers and sends the cross in… Just fractionally over Yakubu’s head!
13′ An Everton long ball is flicked on and YAKUBU IS ONE-ON-ONE… Saved by Turnbull! The Boro keeper is very much a man in form at the moment, and he spreads himself well to block Yakubu’s shot.
11′ It gets worse for Everton as Saha is down on the floor in a heap. He’s scored three in his last two games, so it must be time for him to be sidelined for the rest of the season! He’s getting up, and hobbles off to be treated…
8′ GOAL!! Boro break forward and Downing delivers a slick reverse pass that finds O’Neil in acres of space on the right. He has time to control, size up to shot and calmly slot a finish past Howard that goes in off the near post! Nice goal but where was the defending?
6′ Leon Osman wins a corner, and the previously sedate Goodison crowd have something to shout about. Lescott gets his head to Arteta’s delivery but the ball had swung out of play before it reached him.
3′ Play goes to and fro in these opening stages, with neitehr side managing to work their way through midfield as yet. Both sides seem keen to play to ball to feet, which is an encouraging sign of the standard we can expect.
1′ Referee howard Webb gets this show on the road on this sunny day on Merseyside!
13:27 Both sides can move as high as sixth with three points here, although Hull will overtake them again if they beat Man City later on this afternoon. The players are coming out of the tunnel now, we are just moments away from kick-off!
13:25 And now Boro, who have won twice during their current four-match unbeaten run: Turnbull, Hoyte, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, O’Neil, Digard, Arca, Downing, Alves, Sanli. Subs: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Wheater, Franks, Grounds, Walker
13:24 These are two sides in decent form at the moment. First up, here’s the Everton line-up, as they aim for a fourth straight win: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Fellaini, Cahill, Osman, Yakubu, Saha. Subs: Nash, Hibbert, Baines, Castillo, Vaughan, Pienaar, Anichebe