Stoke City 1-1 Everton

Cameron Jerome's second half strike salvaged a point for Stoke in a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Britannia Stadium.

Jerome had only been on the pitch for two minutes as part of a triple substitution when he levelled for the Potters after Peter Crouch's own goal just before half time had looked like handing Everton the points. However, in a game of few real goal scoring opportunities, the sides settled for a share of the spoils which leaves Stoke down in 13th position on 44 points, while Everton are now three points clear of rivals Liverpool in seventh. Everton were the brighter of the two sides but Tim Howard was called into action first on 23 minutes to punch a dangerous Rory Delap throw-in away while under pressure from the challenge of Kenwyne Jones. Everton responded with two quick chances for Leon Osman, who failed to get a clean connection on his effort in the six-yard box which allowed Asmir Begovic to drop onto the ball, before he hit an effort from 20 yards straight at the Potters' custodian. A Ryan Shawcross looping header was then tipped over as a precaution by Howard on 31 minutes. Substitute Magaye Gueye's cross from the left was almost diverted into the Stoke net off the knee of Nikica Jelavic as he ran into the area but the ball just dropped over the bar. Steven Pienaar hit a curling shot which was tipped over the top by Begovic on 41 minutes before Everton took the lead a minute before the interval. Pienaar took a free kick short to Tony Hibbert and his cross into the area was headed onto Crouch and the big striker could not prevent the ball from rebounding off his falling body and into his own net. Osman got in the way of the better placed Marouane Fellaini to fire over the bar from a Pienaar pull-back on 57 minutes and Stoke made him pay for that spurned chance 12 minutes later. Jerome, who had only just entered the action along with fellow striker Ricardo Fuller and Glenn Whelan, was allowed to run towards the Everton area by two defenders before firing his shot past Howard to equalise. Everton responded well and pressed forward to try and win the match but Stoke had two chances in stoppage time to snatch the points. Jones hit an effort just over after Everton failed to clear a corner and Huth's deflected long-range free-kick was saved well by Howard.