A win for either Everton or Middlesbrough would have put them in touching distance of the top four in the Premier League and firmly into unfamiliar territory. It was appropriate then that neither side was capable of taking advantage of the situation as they played out a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
It took a 65th minute equaliser from Everton striker Ayegbeni Yakubu - playing against the club where he scored 35 goals in a two-season spell - to earn the home side a point after Gary O'Neil had given Gareth Southgate's side an early lead.
It was Yakubu's first goal in 10 games and came when he got on the end of Mikel Arteta's in-swinging free-kick. The ball seemed to come off the back of the Nigerian's shoulder but it was enough to deflect the ball past Ross Turnbull in the Middlesbrough goal.
The equaliser came at a time when Everton were struggling to create any real chances, and were constantly looking like they might concede a second as the visitors counter-attacked swiftly all afternoon.
It was on the break that Middlesbrough had taken the lead after just eight minutes. Stewart Downing led the attack and, when the ball ricocheted back into his path from a Phil Jagielka tackle, he cleverly switched the play to the unmarked O'Neil on the right-hand side of the penalty area. The midfielder had time to take a touch before slotting the ball past Tim Howard at the near post.
Yakubu nearly equalised immediately, but Turnbull did well to save his shot after the Nigerian had bustled his way past Emanuel Pogatetz. They went closer still when a Joleon Lescott's cross deceived Turnbull and came back off the post, with Marouane Fellaini's follow-up volley blocked on the line by Pogatetz.
Everton then had a claim for a penalty when Yakubu latched on to a Fellaini flick-on and collided with Turnbull, but referee Howard Webb ruled that the Middlesbrough keeper had played the ball and awarded a corner.
Both sides had gone into the contest unbeaten in four games which, in this season's Premier League, put them firmly among the form teams, but it was Middlesbrough who looked the most comfortable, with Tuncay Sanli in particular finding plenty of space between the Everton midfield and back four, although they failed to make the most of several promising openings.
The second-period continued in a similar manner, when another swift Middlesbrough counter-attack saw Tuncay find Downing who squared to Julio Arca who was wasteful with his shot from the edge of the area. Saha put a difficult diving header wide from a Phil Neville chance, before Yakubu finally equalised moments later just as the home crowd's exasperation was beginning to show.
Everton were buoyed by the goal and Saha saw his shot charged down by Justin Hoyte when he probably should have played in his strike partner Yakubu. Howard was called into action to save at his near post from Didier Digard, pushing the ball onto the post before gathered the ball in the ensuing scramble.
Yakubu and Saha were linking up well and when the former Manchester United man won a header the Nigerian had a great opportunity to test Turnbull, but skewed his volley badly wide. It proved the final real chance of the game, which petered out into a draw.
