Player Ratings: Sunderland 1-1 Everton

The Irish international denied Drenthe with a save of such quality that it suggested the watching Craig Gordon could remain on the sidelines when he regains full fitness.

There can be no doubting his tenacity but that fails to make up for the former Manchester United defender's lack of quality, especially when he was moving forward before was substituted at half-time.

You can see why Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to let him leave Manchester United because he struggled to cope with former Old Trafford colleague Louis Saha or Tim Cahill.

He proved his versatility by moving from left wing to left-back but looked ordinary in both departments.

The Irishman looked more comfortable at center back than right-back but that is not really saying much because he looked leaden and ponderous.

After a promising opening, the center back limped out of the action and headed straight for the treatment table.

He has managed to keep the captain's armband following Martin O'Neill's arrival and vindicated his manager's faith with a disciplined display.

Anyone thinking this free kick specialist is a one-trick pony would have been given extra cause for concern because the Swede hardly troubled Leighton Baines.

The former Blackpool midfielder brought a neatness and tidiness to Sunderland's play that made you wonder why on earth he hardly got a look-in under Steve Bruce until he faded in the second half.

He provided Sunderland's main attacking spark as he gave penetration and guile to the Black Cats' offensive efforts and expertly teed up Colback's goal.

The way the American played it was bound to take a lucky deflection to beat him and so it proved with Colback's goal-bound shot that he had covered until the deflection off Distin.

There were certainly no frills about this right-back's performance but he was as reliable as ever down the flank.

The way he subdued Seb Larsson and then stuck away his penalty showed that he will be an able under-study for Ashley Cole when England contest Euro 2012.

The Dutch international shielded the Everton back four all afternoon but was hardly put under pressure by his Black Cats peers.

The England center back hardly put a wrong as he offered sterling support to Distin with a vigilant performance as he routinely frustrated unimaginative hosts who played into his hands all too often.

He worked his socks off but flattered to deceive and paid by being taken off midway through the second half-

The Australian hasn't scored for the Toffees since last December and that showed with an early miss showing he lacks the killer touch that made him invaluable to club and country.

He continues to lead by example with his uncomplicated, uncompromising brand of midfield play.

He inadvertently won the penalty that yielded the Everton equalizer as he lost his footing but he kept his team on the front foot with scampering runs forward.

If only his finishing was as good as his movement and mobility then he would have been celebrating a goal because he missed an good early opening.