| By Sam Lyon |
Birmingham failed to win for the first time in six matches but still got the draw they needed at Everton to leapfrog Liverpool into seventh in the league.
An irrepressible start from the hosts was rewarded by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's stinger and Louis Saha was incorrectly denied a second by an offside flag.
But Sebastian Larsson curled in to level and Birmingham dug in thereafter.
Tim Cahill came closest to a winner but Everton could not break through and they stay two points off the drop zone.
The result may end a run of five straight victories for Birmingham, but Alex McLeish will be happy enough with a resolute defensive display from his side that extends their unbeaten run to nine matches and ensures they will spend Christmas Day within touching distance of those sides chasing a European spot.
Moyes disappointed with 'two points dropped'
And there were signs of encouragement for the Toffees too, who are starting to resemble something like the Everton side that has impressed so many in recent seasons even if they have only won once in 11 matches.
On this form they look more than capable of climbing the league, and having emerged from a run of matches against Tottenham, Chelsea and an in-form Birmingham with three points, they will surely look to push on over the festive period.
The two teams could hardly have come into the match in more different form - and yet the opening 20 minutes was little more than an exhibition of attacking football from the Toffees.
It was a blistering start. Bilyaletdinov kick-started matters, collecting Saha's neat flick, turning inside and slamming high into the net from eight yards.
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Saha then latched on to Cahill's through-ball to slide home, only for the goal to incorrectly be ruled out for offside, while Cahill drove inches over from 20 yards minutes later.
Leon Osman also had a shot blocked and Cahill headed wide as Everton laid siege to the Birmingham goal, with some of the hosts' play irresistible.
However, unbelievably, Birmingham drew level on 22 minutes with their very first attack - and the goal was as well worked as it was against the run of play.
Larsson played in Christian Benitez, who held the ball up well and then laid the ball back for the Swede to side-foot in off the far post with an excellent finish.
McLeish happy with Birmingham's 'desire and drive'
At that point, Everton had forged nine attempts on goal, six on target, to the visitors' sole effort, but the match rarely hit those heights again.
Everton still edged the majority of the encounter, Steven Pienaar and Osman, in his first start since September following a knee injury, impressing in midfield and Saha a constant threat up front, but clear-cut chances were at far more of a premium.
Cahill looked as capable as anyone of restoring Everton's lead, the midfielder twice causing problems in the opposition's six-yard box from Leighton Baines crosses in the second half.
But in Scott Dann and Johnson, Birmingham boasted a centre-half pairing at the very top of their defensive games and they were imperious in resisting the hosts' attacking forays.
'Backs-to-the-wall' performance - Johnson
At the other end Tony Hibbert was proving equally as frugal, the full-back producing a superb last-ditch tackle to deny Benitez with the striker poised to pull the trigger eight yards out.
As it was, Everton's increasingly frantic attacks bore little fruit as Birmingham successfully strangled the hosts' earlier verve.
McLeish will now enter the January transfer window armed with the knowledge that his side look more than capable of living with the best sides in the league on their day, while Everton will hope that the return of a host of injured first-teamers will boost their push away from the relegation places.
Everton manager David Moyes:
"I'm frustrated because we had opportunities in a game which I feel we were in control of and should have won.
"I didn't think Saha's disallowed goal would be the turning point at the time because I thought we were dominating the game and playing so well we would go on a score more goals. I thought our play was fine but I thought in the final third we were wasteful in our final pass and finish.
"(But) I thought Birmingham were really resilient. They are on a good run and they went up the pitch once and got a goal. They earned that because they worked really hard to stay in the game and we have not been quite good enough to break them down today."
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish:
"It is a good end to the run up to Christmas. We were hoping we would remain intact on this unbeaten run up to Christmas Day.
"To come to Goodison, not play that great and get a point I suppose is a fantastic bonus.
"I know Louis Saha was not offside. We have had some like that go against us but it shows you, in a split-second decision, how difficult it is for the linesman."
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