Everton 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Saturday, 17 October 2009 17:53Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's first goal for Everton rescued a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
David Moyes' team had fallen behind when Ireland striker Kevin Doyle netted for Wolves with 14 minutes to play.
But Russia winger Bilyaletdinov netted two minutes from full-time and there was still time for Wolves substitute Stefan Maierhofer to be sent off in the final moments after a clash with Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake made his first start for Wolves since the opening game of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Wolves had lost three successive away games and they were soon under the cosh as Bilyaletdinov's shot was blocked by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
Tim Cahill was next to threaten from Louis Saha's pass as the Australia midfielder flashed his strike over the bar.
Saha was close with a header from Bilyaletdinov's corner before Wolves defender Jody Craddock needed treatment for a cut head, only returning to the pitch heavily bandaged.
Wolves responded through Doyle, who produced a fine shot on the turn that Howard pushed away.
Mick McCarthy's team went close again five minutes from the break when Greg Halford touched a pass to David Edwards, whose shot deflected off Ebanks-Blake and went wide with Howard flat-footed.
It was the visitors who provided most of the attacking impetus as the half wore on and Ebanks-Blake almost broke the deadlock with a shot that was just off-target.
Moyes sent on Nigeria's Ayegbeni Yakubu to partner Saha at the break and that briefly seemed to have sparked the hosts bck into life.
Saha's header was pushed away by Hennessey at the near post, then the Wolves keeper made a fine point-blank save to deny Bilyaletdinov.
Hennessey also repelled a Saha drive and Wolves made Moyes' men pay for those misses in the 76th minute.
Doyle collected a long clearance from Hennessey and ran through Everton's statuesque defence to guide his shot wide of Howard in the 76th minute.
But Everton salvaged a draw in the 88th minute when Jo crossed from the left and Bilyaletdinov arrived on the far post to drive home his first goal for the club since his move from Locomotiv Moscow.
In injury time Maierhofer received a second yellow card for a foul on Howard and was sent off.
