Everton have missed the chance to move back up to second in the Premier League table having been held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this evening.
Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring for the home side in the first half, but his compatriot Christian Benteke rescued a point for Alan Pardew's side as they made it five Premier League games without defeat.
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The Toffees went into the match looking to return to winning ways after back-to-back defeats had brought an end to their unbeaten start under Ronald Koeman, and it was they who made the quicker start against the in-form Eagles.
Despite dominating possession in the opening stages, though, Everton were forced to settle for half-chances early on, with Ashley Williams seeing a free header hit Phil Jagielka before Ross Barkley fired a long-range strike high and wide.
The first shot on target of the night came after 19 minutes, but it was a comfortable one for Steve Mandanda in the Palace goal as he collected Lukaku's tame strike from inside the area.
Seamus Coleman then sent an effort of his own wide of the target before the deadlock was finally broken in some style by Lukaku for his fifth goal of the season.
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Damien Delaney was controversially punished for a high foot despite Jagielka handling the ball in the same challenge, and Lukaku fired the resulting free kick over the wall and past a helpless Mandanda - his fourth goal in five appearances against Palace.
It was also the Belgian's 65th goal in the Premier League, but the first he has scored direct from a free kick.
Lukaku's Belgium teammate Benteke - back on Merseyside following his short and unsuccessful stint with Liverpool - struggled to get involved in the first half, but it took him just five minutes to make his mark after the interval.
The striker made the most of Palace's first chance of the match, climbing highest at the back post to steer an inch-perfect header back across goal and into the corner - his fifth league goal in six meetings with Everton.
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The hosts almost regained their lead immediately when Yannick Bolasie, playing against his former club, streaked clear down the left channel and picked out Idrissa Gueye in the middle, but with the goal gaping the Everton midfielder sent his effort straight at Martin Kelly.
Palace were a different prospect in the second half as they went in search of a fourth straight league win, and they thought they had taken the lead when Delaney found the back of the net with his header, only for the goal to be controversially chalked off for offside.
Despite the visitors' improvement, Everton still carried a threat going forward, and after Bolasie had sent an acrobatic bicycle kick off target, Gareth Barry almost put the hosts back in front with a glancing header that needed to be cleared off the line by Jason Puncheon.
Palace's main threat continued to arrive from aerial balls into the box, and James Tomkins almost put the visitors ahead with less than 15 minutes remaining when he nodded Joel Ward's header back across goal, but it was too close to Maarten Stekelenburg.
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An even second half continued to ebb and flow, though, and Everton were the next to threaten when Coleman broke into the box before being rushed into a disappointing effort by Delaney.
There was no winner for either side, however, as Everton's winless streak stretched to three games in all competitions, while Palace have now collected as many points in their last five games as they did in their previous 21.
The point does, however, see Everton climb up to third in the table, while Palace remain seventh, now just two points adrift of the top four.
Barney Corkhill
