Liverpool's Luis Suárez Denied at the Death as Everton Battle Back to Draw

Suárez thought he had won the game for Brendan Rodgers' team in the dying seconds, when he tapped in from close range after Sebastián Coates had headed down Steven Gerrard's free-kick. Gerrard raced half the length of the field to celebrate before the Liverpool section on his knees, oblivious to play continuing behind him. The assistant referee had flagged for offside, not a foul by Coates as he won the header. Wrongly, it transpired and Everton were spared.

Moyes' team were careless initially, then strong and vibrant after falling two goals behind, with Liverpool dangerous on the counter-attack throughout. The opener arrived down the left after the referee, Andre Marriner, played a good advantage following a foul by Steven Naismith on Suso and allowed José Enrique to reach the by-line.

His low centre evaded the Everton defence, Leighton Baines nudged Raheem Sterling aside, but the ball fell to Suárez at the far post and his low shot struck the England left-back and flew in. Suárez headed straight for the Everton dug-out where, arms folded across chest, he executed a dive in front of Moyes. A quiet word from Marriner sufficed.

Five minutes later Suárez had a goal of his own when the Everton defence disintegrated at a Steven Gerrard free-kick. The Uruguay international was completely unmarked in front of goal as he glanced a header beyond Tim Howard.

Everton needed an instant response to avoid another derby day spent agonising over a wasted opportunity and they got one when Brad Jones punched a Baines corner straight to Leon Osman on the edge of his area. Osman drove the return through a packed goalmouth, in off Joe Allen's heel, and the contest was back on.

Moyes' side dominated the rest of the opening half with Kevin Mirallas the key figure as he tormented the unprotected Liverpool right-back Andre Wisdom. A combination between the Belgium internationals, Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini, conjured a deserved equaliser when the latter drove the ball across the Liverpool goalmouth and Naismith prodded home from close range.

Besides the goals, there was enough incident in a wide open derby to keep rivalry aflame. There was a booking for a dive by Phil Neville, Sterling receiving a warning before and after being booked for persistent misconduct, with Tim Howard racing from goal to demand a second yellow card for a foul on Baines, Suárez booked for raking Sylvain Distin's ankle and some mesmerising play from Mirallas.

Fortunately for Wisdom, though not Everton, the injured Mirallas failed to reappear for a second half in which Rodgers reverted to a three-man central defence to stifle Fellaini's aerial threat and get his full-backs to advance. The ploy succeeded defensively. Sterling squandered a glorious chance to restore Liverpool's lead in a second half during which the visitors remained dangerous on the break, but Everton maintained overall control.

It needed a challenge in keeping with a superb display from Martin Skrtel to prevent Nikica Jelavic converting Seamus Coleman's cross while the Croatian headed badly wide from Baines' inviting free-kick.

This article was written by Andy Hunter at Goodison Park, for The Guardian on Sunday 28th October 2012 15.44 Europe/London

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