Everton needed a superb strike from Leon Osman to earn them a 1-1 draw against a spirited Stoke side at Goodison Park.

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Osman curled a 55th-minute shot in off the bar from the edge of the box, five minutes after Robert Huth had given Stoke the lead with a powerful header.

Tony Pulis's attritional Stoke side blunted Everton's cutting edge, with the hosts failing to create clear-cut chances other than two Tim Cahill headers straight at goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Tony Hibbert was preferred to Lucas Neill at right-back, with Johnny Heitinga moving into the centre to cover for the injured Joseph Yobo, but otherwise there were few surprises in either team selection.

Everton, now unbeaten in seven since losing to Fulham last month, set out cautiously with a 4-5-1 formation, while arch-pragmatists Stoke proved equally unadventurous.

The home side's main supply line came from the crosses of Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, who patrolled the left with Steven Pienaar still out injured. The summer signing from Lokomotiv Moscow delivered a mixed bag into the box, where Cahill and Marouane Fellaini were unusually subdued.

Cahill's first headed opportunity was a sitter by his standards. Fellaini found him with an inswinging cross from the left, and the Australian stooped to head straight at Thomas Sorensen from eight yards.

Stand-in skipper Osman had the only other real chance of an otherwise featureless first half, weaving into space at the edge of the box and firing through a sea of bodies. Sorensen reacted late but managed to tip the ball over.

Early in the second half, Huth gave the hosts a lesson in attacking a set-piece, powering his header past Tim Howard from Matthew Etherington's inswinging corner.

Osman ensured a quick response from Everton, cutting inside from the right and curling a handsome left-foot shot past Sorensen and into the top-left corner, via the woodwork.

However, the threatened flurry of goals never emerged with both sides settling for ambitious shots from long range.

Everton's best chance to win it came on 72 minutes when Louis Saha curled a cross for Cahill, who once again powered his header at Sorensen.

David Moyes switched to 4-3-3, bringing on Ayegbeni Yakubu and Jo for Osman and Bilyaletdinov, but Stoke stood firm for a point that takes them 11th, a place behind Everton.