Everton old boy is Leeds hero

Kevin Campbell squeezes home Everton's second goal

Everton 2-2 Leeds

Olivier Dacourt stunned his former Everton team-mates with a long-range strike to force a point for Leeds.

The home side twice led through through Duncan Ferguson and Kevin Campbell but were pegged back by long-range efforts on both occasions, Ian Harte firing in the first.

Leeds, without a win at Goodison Park since 1990, had the better of the opening exchanges.

Leeds put us under more pressure here than any other team has this season

  Walter Smith

David O'Leary's side were seeking the fourth successive victory which would push them up to fifth spot in the Premiership.

They started with fluid passing and movement and Lee Bowyer almost got the break to open the score on 10 minutes.

Ian Harte's long ball in from the left got to the far post where Bowyer bravely threw himself forward, only to be blocked by goalkeeper Paul Gerrard.

But Bowyer, who had arrived on Merseyside from his court appearance in Hull in a helicopter two hours before kick-off, needed lengthy treatment before resuming.

Everton rarely got into Leeds' last third early on, but from almost constant Leeds pressure, Everton broke out and took the lead on 23 minutes.

Ferguson celebrates his opening strike

Lucas Radebe could only head the ball into the path of Thomas Gravesen and his cross was flapped away by Nigel Martyn, straight into the path of the lurking Ferguson.

The Scottish international needed no second invitation and swept the ball home left footed to put the home side in front.

A minute later Gemmill was booked for a bad foul on Robbie Keane as a stunned Leeds fought back.

Ferguson injured

Mark Viduka had a low drive deflected inches wide of a post on 31 minutes, and then Gerrard saved bravely from a point-blank Viduka strike.

Three minutes later Ferguson, clearly in pain from what looked like an injury to the same arm that had recently been in plaster following a hand injury, was replaced by Idan Tal.

Ferguson's goal had been Everton's only shot before Kevin Campbell volleyed a glorious chance over the bar from 12 yards after Tal's neat pass on 39 minutes.

O'Leary joins in the Leeds celebrations

The pattern of play continued much the same way after the break, Leeds dominating without finding a way through.

But the Everton defences were finally breached on 66 minutes.

Ian Harte cut inside from the left and ran on a pace before letting fly with his unfavoured right foot.

Harte may be tempted to try his luck a little more often with his "wrong" foot, as he saw the ball fly past an unsighted Gerrard.

The goal was no more than Leeds deserved, but Everton bounced back, Campbell making up for his earlier miss with a second for the home side.

The striker held off the attentions of Lucas Radebe and Rio Ferdinand and, though Martyn blocked his initial effort, had the composure to poke home the rebound.

If Leeds felt hard done by again, they were quick to do something about it.

We gifted them two silly, sloppy goals after dominating all match.

  David O'Leary

Just three minutes after Campbell's strike, former Everton midfielder Dacourt restored parity with a long-range strike.

Dacourt hit a speculative right-foot shot from fully 35 yards and saw the ball deflect past Gerrard, despite the keeper's frantic attempts to scramble across his goal.

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Everton: Gerrard, Weir, Gough, Ball, Steve Watson, Naysmith, Gemmill, Moore, Gravesen, Ferguson, Campbell. Subs: Unsworth, Hughes, Simonsen, Jeffers, Tal.

Leeds: Martyn, Matteo, Radebe, Ferdinand, Harte, Mills, Batty, Dacourt, Bowyer, Keane, Viduka. Subs: Robinson, Wilcox, Smith, Bakke, Burns.

Referee: N Barry