Everton v Wolves

Everton had to settle for a frustrating 1-1 draw with Wolves in their first home game of the 2010/11 campaign.

Tim Cahill had given his side the lead with a typical poached effort just before half time but Sylvan Ebanks-Blake equalised in the second half after John Heitinga had been dispossessed on the halfway line.

Everton's players believed Heitinga had been fouled in the build-up and the incident was to define the outcome of the game.

The Blues were evidently keen to gain control of proceedings from the outset and were comfortable in possession whilst seemingly also possessing a more significant cutting edge in the final third than seven days earlier at Blackburn.

Jermaine Beckford holds off Christophe Berra

In the sixth minute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov lashed a loose ball well over the bar and soon after Jermaine Beckford muscled himself into a good position but his dangerous low cross was grabbed by Marcus Hahnemann before Cahill could pounce.

Twenty minutes in Karl Henry fouled Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines curled the free kick narrowly over.

Soon after a piledriver from returning World Cup hero Heitinga was destined for the back of the net until Hahnemann threw out a palm and diverted it over, with the Dutchman visibly exasperated by his near miss.

Cahill, Pienaar and Bilyaledinov all had efforts off target before the Australian gave Everton the lead.

Goalscorer Tim Cahill salutes the crowd

Mikel Arteta was fouled in a dangerous position but the referee Lee Mason bizarrely decided it was a free kick on the edge of the box and not a spot kick.

But justice was done when the Spaniard's free-kick fell to the feet of Cahill who muscled past a defender and lashed into the roof of the net.

Wolves had only mustered one effort on goal in the opening period and were significantly more competitive after the break.

But it was Everton who fashioned a decent chance ten minutes into the second period when Bilyaletdinov kicked fresh air from Cahill's knockdown.

Matt Jarvis sliced a rare Wolves opening miles over and soon after that David Moyes replaced Beckford with Louis Saha.

Their next attack was much more incisive.        

John Heitinga goes in with a diving header 

Wolves sub Adlene Guedioura robbed Heitinga and launched a counter attach which saw Kevin Doyle centre for Ebanks-Blake to tap in at the far post with just 15 minutes remaining.

Moyes responded by bringing on Marouane Fellaini and Leon Osman but it was Cahill again who tested Hahnemann with a shot on the swivel before Saha got into the action with a looping header onto the top of the net from Arteta's centre.

But the visitors were having their best period of the game and Distin had to snuff out Jarvis's centre after he had hit the byline.

The same player also threatened in injury time but both sides had to settle for a draw.