AFTER the recklessness of Middlesbrough's defending seven days earlier, it was a welcome return to business as usual for Gareth Southgate et al at Goodison Park.

With Ugo Ehiogu a late withdrawal having picked up a foot injury during training on Friday, there may well have been increasing confidence in Everton's ranks prior to kick-off.

These days, though, Boro are no longer a squad reliant on having both Ehiogu and Southgate fit because Chris Riggott is proving a more than capable deputy.

And, where three goals slipped through in the incredible eight-goal thriller with Birmingham in their previous outing, this time around there was a more familiar look about Boro's miserly ways.

"It was certainly more like we are used to playing," said Southgate. "It was a totally different game to that Birmingham one. They couldn't have been any more different. This time it didn't look like we were going to score, until we did, whereas against Birmingham we couldn't stop scoring."

The performance of Riggott was described by McClaren as 'immaculate' and it is fair to say he will be unfortunate should he have to make way for the return of Ehiogu this weekend against Bolton.

The former Derby County centre-back won most tackles and every aerial challenge that came his way. Not bad when you consider he was up against the dangerous duo of Wayne Rooney and Tomasz Radzinski.

It was a shame really on Riggott that his only slight blip on an impressive day resulted in Everton finding the crucial breakthrough 12 minutes from time.

The Boro defender was visibly frustrated when Radzinski had fired beyond Mark Schwarzer after running at pace towards Riggott, who should have closed him down quicker.

But to point the finger of blame at Riggott would be harsh because he showed an abundance of talent and just what a bargain buy McClaren unearthed when he paid £2m in January last year.

Where Boro's backline succeeded in quickly forgetting their uncharacteristic display at the Riverside against Steve Bruce's Blues, the same could not be said of the club's forwards.

McClaren's decision to stick with a two-man attack away from home - with Juninho just behind Massimo Maccarone and Joseph Job - was a bold one and suggested there would be plenty goals. And there were a number of chances but a combination of poor finishing and good defending ensured the expected goal feast never arrived.

The point secured on Merseyside, against an Everton side only seven points above a relegation place, has not strengthened Boro's chances of finishing in their highest ever position in the Premiership, of eighth.

But McClaren, whose side have still not won back to back league games since November, claimed: "You have to be satisfied with a point. Many teams will be tested here, it's a difficult place to get a result.

"Everton had won their last two at home and kept clean sheets, so at 1-0 down our players did well to come back as they did. To go behind and come back shows great character. They want to get into the top half of the table."

Maccarone, the two-goal hero from the win over Birmingham, retained his place in attack and he started like a man with newfound self-belief.

Despite a few nice touches from the Italian, though, he never looked like troubling Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, who was first called into action in the seventh minute.

Franck Queudrue's long punt upfield caught the Toffees rearguard stuck to the floor and Job did well to bring the ball under control. However, the Cameroon man just failed to place the ball past Martyn.

Gaizka Mendieta created space for himself regularly in the opening half and Juninho tried hard to unlock Everton. But the final ball did little to damage the home side's defence.

For Everton the teenage sensation that is Rooney always looked the most dangerous player, seemingly popping up in acres of space in different areas of Boro's half.

But the defending of Southgate and Riggott never allowed the England man to get in behind them and the closest the striker came was with a couple of stinging drives that flew wide.

Boro keeper Schwarzer maintained his good form when he did well to save a close-range header from Alan Stubbs not long before half-time and that remained the best chance of the game until Everton took the lead.

The Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo, who never allowed Boro's forwards time to settle, played a delightful crossfield ball to Kevin Kilbane.

The former Sunderland man set Radzinski free down the left with a perfect slide rule pass. Then the Canadian, with Riggott in his way, ran at pace before steadying himself and firing low past Schwarzer.

At that point there did not look a way back for Boro. But within six minutes they had responded by grabbing the equaliser, albeit a freak one.

Bolo Zenden played a short corner to Mendieta. The Spaniard's cross touched Queudrue and Stuart Parnaby before Yobo's clearance appeared to ricochet off Job and fly beyond Martyn.

The goals may not have flowed as expected but Job's fortunate seventh goal of the season halted Boro's three-game Premiership losing streak on their travels. Good timing too with a trip to second-placed Chelsea on the agenda after this Saturday's visit of Bolton to Teesside.

Result: Everton 1 Middlesbrough 1.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.