Rooney strikes late to spare Everton's blushes

Everton went into the game knowing that a defeat could see them drop into the bottom three on Monday night and whilst they dominated possession in the first half they didn’t have an awful lot to show for it at the break.

To say that the first half was one of very few chances would be to vastly overestimate the number of chances created.

Everton made the early running but showed no sign of shedding their ‘goal-shy’ status.

The first real shot in anger came after 19 minutes when Matt Ryan was forced to wake from his slumber to deny Idrissa Gueye. A good move from Everton saw Sigurdsson find Vlasic on the edge of the box, he laid the ball off to Gueye and his low effort from 25 yards looked destined for the bottom corner but Ryan was alert to get across to palm the ball out for a corner.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s delivery regularly looked like posting problems for the hosts but barring Calvert-Lewin heading well over after Jagielka’s flick-on, little came of his set-pieces.

It took Brighton half an hour to have their first shot, but it was almost worth the wait.

A quickly-taken corner was eventually crossed in by Suttner and well Everton cleared, they only found Anthony Knockaert on the edge of the box, the winger fired in a volley that looked destined for the far corner, only to see it blocked away before Lewis Dunk’s follow-up received the same treatment.

Gueye curled another effort from range just wide of Ryan’s goal as he attempted to break the deadlock, before Stephens lashed over from range for Brighton.

The two sides went into the break level and that was a theme that would continue into the second 45.

Everton looked slightly improved after the break with Holgate testing Ryan with a powerful drive before Calvert-Lewin headed tamely at the Australian international.

Vlasic summed up Everton’s game in front of goal just before the hour mark as he spun his marker on the edge of the box, only to lose his footing at the key moment and screw his shot well wide.

Brighton were by no means out of the game at this point, with Pascal Gross’ delivery looking their most likely way of getting on the scoresheet.

Sigurdsson curled a free kick wide before Calvert-Lewin could only stroke tamely at Ryan after brilliantly gathering Rooney’s cross from the right.

Chris Hughton went for it late on, bringing on the unpredictable Jose Izquierdo and that decision almost paid immediate dividends when his low effort from range was palmed away by Pickford.

The resulting corner saw Anthony Knockaert denied by a sensational block from Michael Keane, but the winger made no mistake just minutes later as the game sprang into life late on.

Excellent work from Bruno down the right saw him get the the byline, he pulled the ball back to Izquierdo, who was denied by Keane, but Knaockaert was on hand to fire home the rebound to break the deadlock.

Izzy Brown tested Pickford with a powerful effort before a moment of madness from Bruno gave Everton a route back into the game.

The most experienced player on the pitch inexplicably elbowed Calvert-Lewin when defending a free kick, gifting Everton a penalty, which Rooney dully stroked home to earn his side a point.

That point could have become three late on when only a superb double save from Ryan could deny substitute Kevin Mirallas.

Despite the late show, Everton remain without an away win in the Premier League since January, with Ronald Koeman's men facing a tough Europa League tie against Lyon next time out.