Everton 1 Rovers 1

[Alan75]

Everton: Howard, Hibbert (Anichebe 64), Yobo, Stubbs (Lescott 46), Baines, Arteta, Carsley (Jagielka 41), Neville, Osman, McFadden, Johnson.

Subs Not Used: Wessels, Pienaar.

Goals: McFadden 78.

Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock, Bentley, Savage, Dunn (Mokoena 86), Pedersen, McCarthy (Derbyshire 74), Santa Cruz (Roberts 90).

Subs Not Used: Brown, Tugay

Booked: Ooijer, Pedersen.

Goals: Santa Cruz 15.

Att: 33,850

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

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Mark Hughes post match comment:

"We certainly felt the way we played in the first half, when we were excellent, that that performance merited a win.

"We had a number of chances and scored one. If we'd got a second it would have been hard for Everton to come back.

"We knew David Moyes would get a reaction and they asked questions in the second half."

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Match comments by Revidgeblue

Before the game I'd have taken a point, however the way the game panned out I thought it was extremely disappointing that we failed to come away with all three points - and at the end of the season afternoons like this will probably be the reason we're a lot nearer midtable than challenging for 4th spot.

The game should have been well and truly killed off in the first half. I thought at half time failure to do that might come back to haunt us and so it proved. In the second half we seemed happy to sit back content in the knowledge that we could soak up anything Everton threw at us and it almost worked but for an unnecessary and unforced error from Santa Cruz in a defensive area which led to the equaliser.

Overall I thought we had three heroes today right down the spine of the team - Samba, Dunn and Santa Cruz.

Samba was superb yet again today and I have to agree with something nicko said midweek, I don't think there 's a better centre back in the Premiership. He even left Andy Johnson standing for pace at one point in the first half for goodness sake!

I've said it several times before but I hope we get his contractual situation absolutely nailed down such that it will take a Rio Ferdinand like 30 m to prise him away should "the big 4" come sniffing round which they surely will.

Dunn also had an outstanding game and if he can keep that up, for 1m plus add ons may prove to be amongst the best of Sparky's transfer scoops.

Santa Cruz worked tirelessly up front, and his work ethic put strike partner McCarthy to shame. Another goal, which his overall game deserved, and he is starting to look a real asset.

The only downside was the "performance" of McCarthy who seemed to be merely going through the motions and really might as well not have been on the pitch. Combined with his demeanour when he slouched on against Arsenal, I can't help wondering if he's off elsewhere before the transfer window closes in six days time. If he isnt, he needs to buck his ideas up sharpish.

So two points dropped really the way the game went but if we can beat Citeh next week it will be a tremendous start.