Blackburn 1-1 Everton

By Phil McNulty

Everton's celebrate Tim Cahill's late equaliser

Tim Cahill came off the bench to earn Everton a battling point at Blackburn.

Benni McCarthy's curling 50th minute strike, his first Premiership goal, put dominant Blackburn ahead.

But Cahill turned home a rebound with six minutes left after Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel had bundled James McFadden's effort on to an upright.

Jason Roberts missed two chances for Blackburn, but Everton appeared to be denied a clear penalty when Andy Todd hauled down Andrew Johnson late on.

Interview: Blackburn manager Mark Hughes

Interview: Everton boss David Moyes

Everton were out of sorts until the introduction of Cahill and McFadden, having relied on an excellent performance from keeper Tim Howard to stay in contention.

But the changes transformed the game and Blackburn ended under siege.

England coach Steve McClaren was in attendance as Blackburn's new strike partnership of Roberts and McCarthy showed plenty of promise as they dominated the first half.

606 VIEW Blackburn should have made more of their early chances and were lucky not to lose in the last 20 minutes SST 606: Have your say

Roberts was clean through on goal after only two minutes, but Howard made a crucial block.

And Roberts posed problems again after 13 minutes when he brilliant solo run ended with a shot that flew wide.

Everton were barely seen as an attacking force, and they were grateful to Howard again when he clutched a powerful drive from McCarthy.

Blackburn should have taken the lead 11 minutes before the interval when David Bentley diverted the ball beyond the onrushing Howard, but Joseph Yobo recovered brilliantly to halt Roberts as he looked poised to find the unguarded net.

Everton suffered a blow seconds after the break when Alan Stubbs, who had been injured in a challenge which saw Bentley booked on the stroke of half time, limped off to be replaced by Joleon Lescott.

And their pain increased after 50 minutes when Blackburn took a deserved lead.

Bentley's ball bounced off Yobo, and McCarthy muscled his way in front of Lee Carsley to curl a right foot finish beyond Howard.

Everton had been very subdued, and it was no surprise when boss David Moyes made a double substitution after 64 minutes, sending on McFadden and Cahill for James Beattie and Kevin Kilbane.

Johnson had Everton's clearest chance when he was put clear by McFadden with 17 minutes left, but Blackburn keeper Friedel - who had been virtually unemployed - saved with his legs.

Everton were then denied what looked to be a clear penalty with eight minutes left when Johnson looked to be taken out by Todd, but referee Uriah Rennie waved away the appeals.

It had taken McCarthy's goal to spark Everton into life, and a period of sustained pressure ended with Cahill's equaliser with six minutes left.

McFadden outstripped the Blackburn defence and lobbed over Friedel, who in his attempt to drag the Scot back turned the ball on to an upright.

Rennie would surely have awarded a spot-kick - and possibly shown Friedel the red card - but Cahill rendered the arguments irrelevant by hammering in the rebound.

Everton then looked the more likely winners, but Blackburn's earlier domination deserved at least a share of the spoils.

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Blackburn manager Mark Hughes:
"We played really well for long periods. We were very comfortable, scored a goal and never looked in any danger.

"But towards the end Everton threw players forward and created pressure and got the goal - despite that we are reasonably pleased and take lots of positives.

"We are disappointed not to have got the three points and to lose a goal like that, but we are off and running after losing at Portsmouth on the back of a decent performance."

Everton manager David Moyes:
"We played very well in the second half and I thought we had a penalty kick when Andy Todd fouled Andy Johnson.

"I was honest enough to say we didn't deserve the penalty we got against Watford on Saturday, but I have to be honest again and say that was a penalty.

"I was delighted again with Andy. He was a real threat all night. I was also delighted for the two subs, James McFadden and Tim Cahill, who were involved in the goal.

"We have got a squad of players who all want to play and we want people to come off the bench and change games. They did that here."

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Blackburn: Friedel, Reid, Todd, Khizanishvili, Gray, Emerton, Savage, Bentley (Gallagher 74), Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts (Jeffers 80).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Kuqi, Mokoena.

Booked: Pedersen, Todd, Bentley, Khizanishvili.

Goals: McCarthy 50.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Stubbs (Lescott 48), Naysmith, Osman, Arteta, Carsley, Kilbane (Cahill 63), Beattie (McFadden 64), Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Wright, Davies.

Booked: Osman, Arteta, Beattie.

Goals: Cahill 84.

Att: 22,015

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).