Thierno Barry makes profligate Leeds pay to earn Everton a point

Leeds may have felt pressure after Nottingham Forest and West Ham closed the gap over the weekend but showed no discernible sign of nerves at Everton. Daniel Farke’s visitors claimed a well-earned point at Hill Dickinson Stadium following a dominant first half display. It could have been much more but for the David Moyes changes that turned the tide Everton’s way in the second half.

Thierno Barry’s encouraging recent run continued as he cancelled out James Justin’s opener with an excellent finish. Everton were a distant second best until Moyes changed personnel and formation.

Everton marked the recent death of Tommy Wright with a period of applause before kick-off. Wright, considered one of the club’s finest full-backs, won the FA Cup with his boyhood team in 1966, the league championship in 1970 and also represented England at the World Cup in Mexico that year.

There was also a presentation to Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye to celebrate their triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Their return was well-timed for Moyes, particularly with Jack Grealish facing a lengthy spell out with a fractured foot, but despite Ndiaye’s trickery on the left the newly-crowned champions were unable to spark an improvement in Everton’s insipid home form.

Leeds were in the ascendency and the only team that seriously threatened long before taking a deserved lead through Justin. The movement of Farke’s midfield five and Brenden Aaronson constantly confused Everton, who were dragged out of shape repeatedly.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin received a mixed reception as he faced his former club for the first time since leaving on a free transfer last summer. There seemed more applause than half-hearted boos for a striker who played a key role in preserving Everton’s top flight status. Calvert-Lewin was close with the first opportunity of the game, getting a touch on Anton Stach’s flick over Jake O’Brien only for the alert Jordan Pickford to tip away his shot.

The pressure from Leeds intensified. Jayden Bogle’s shot was blocked by James Tarkowski when the wing-back was released inside the area by Aaronson, Ilia Gruev side-footed over from the resulting corner and both Bogle and Justin saw decent openings charged down. The visitors’ eventual lead came as no surprise.

Leeds carved open Everton with a flowing move down their right in which Ndiaye, James Garner and Vitalii Mykolenko all came off second best in the challenge. Stach swept in a low cross that evaded both Calvert-Lewin and the covering Tarkowski but rolled perfectly for Justin as he arrived at the back post. With Aaronson sensibly getting out of the wing-back’s way, Justin placed a clinical finish beyond the exposed Pickford.

Calvert-Lewin was centimetres away from doubling the visitors’ advantage moments later. The opportunity came from another Leeds move down the right with Aaronson finding Bogle, who crossed towards the near post. The former Everton striker connected well with an awkward delivery but his attempt cannoned off a post from close range.

Everton belatedly threatened before the interval, mainly as a result of Leeds’ lapses rather than ingenuity on their part, but Moyes had no option but to make changes for the second half. Jarrad Branthwaite was introduced for his first appearance of an injury-plagued season while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also returned from injury as the Everton manager matched Farke’s 3-5-2 formation. The anonymous Dwight McNeil and Harrison Armstrong made way.

Moyes’ switches had the effect he desired with Everton enjoying far more possession and finally troubling Leeds. Their Senegal duo combined to stretch the visiting defence for the first time when Ndiaye took Gueye’s pass and cut inside Pascal Struijk. The impressive Sebastiaan Bornauw read Ndiaye’s intentions, however, and stepped across to make an important block. The previously unemployed Karl Darlow then came to Leeds’ rescue when tipping away an improvised effort from Barry, who attempted to curl a shot inside the far corner with the outside of his foot.

It was an excellent save by the Leeds keeper but he was powerless to prevent Barry equalising with his – and Everton’s – second shot on target. The second half had turned into a role reversal of the first and the home side’s constant probing earned its reward when Dewsbury-Hall released Gueye down the right. The defensive midfielder played a low, inviting cross to the near post where Barry stole in ahead of Bornauw to flick a superb finish into the roof of Darlow’s net. It was Barry’s fourth goal in five league games and followed another quality strike to beat Aston Villa last time out.

In another repeat of the first half, Everton struck the woodwork moments after finding the net. Barry was again involved when breaking clear of the Leeds defence. His cross eventually found its way to Gueye who, from the edge of the area, placed a shot against the crossbar.