Everton 2-2 Apollon Limassol: Wayne Rooney and Nikola Vlasic goals go to waste as Hector Yuste seals shock draw for 10-man minnows with late header

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There was a moment, midway through the first half, when Wayne Rooney was hastily handed some pain-killers in order to get through the night.

Rooney had suffered a wrist injury but he was not the only one with a dull ache. Everton's supporters left Goodison Park with throbbing heads after their side threw two points away with the latest spluttering performance of the season.

Everton should have dispatched Apollon Limassol after Rooney and substitute Nikola Vlasic gave them a 2-1 advantage, but in the 87th minute their defence became muddled and Hector Yuste inflicted maximum punishment. 

Wayne Rooney looks on in dejection as Everton throw away a 2-1 lead with just minutes remaining in the match

Apollon Limassol's Spanish defender Yuste (C) heads the ball into goal to score his team's second goal to seal a famous draw

Yuste of Apollon Limassol celebrates with his team-mates after scoring the goal to give his side a deserved draw

Everton players look on in complete dejection as they leave the field having failed to beat the Cypriot minnows

Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a huge opportunity to win it in injury time when his header was miraculously saved

Limassol fans celebrate after seeing their side seal an historic draw against the Premier League side at Goodison Park

MATCH FACTS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

Rooney intercepts a back pass and is left with a simple tap in to bring Everton back on level terms in the first half.

EVERTON: Pickford 7: Kenny 6, Holgate 7, Williams 5, Baines 6: Davies 7.5, Schneiderlin 5.5, Gueye 5 (Vlasic 46mins 8), Sigurdsson 5: Rooney 6.5, Ramirez 6 (Calvert-Lewin 63mins 7). 

SUBS NOT USED: Stekelenburg, Mirallas, Martina, Lookman.

GOALS: Rooney 21, Vlasic 66 

MANAGER: Ronald Koeman 6.5

APOLLON LIMASSOL: Vale 5: Pedro 6, Yuste 5, Roberge 6, Vasiliou 6: Allan 6, Sacchetti 7 ((Da Silva 77 6), Alef 7: Jakolis 6 (Schembri 61mins 6), Maglica 6, Sardinero 7 

SUBS NOT USED: Martinez, Zelaya, Stylianou, Kissas.

GOALS: Adrian 13, Yuste 88

MANAGER: Sokratis Sokratous 6

BOOKINGS: Yuste

SENT OFF: Roberge 85

REFEREE: Tamas Bognar 7

ATTENDANCE: 27,034 

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Here was the latest dark moment of a season that began with such high hopes and the terms Ronald Koeman used to describe the situation — 'scared', 'afraid' and 'struggling' were the buzzwords — will have alarms ringing.

It has been a source of intense frustration for Koeman that Everton's defence has been so porous and the one thing he wanted here was to see some steel and resolution to stop making life difficult for themselves. 

But for the seventh time in eight games, Everton conceded the first goal. It was wholly avoidable, with Ashley Williams' stray pass going straight to Anton Maglica; he wasted no time crossing, and at the second attempt, Adrian Sardinero bundled in.

Koeman flung his arms up in despair and his reaction was emblematic of the mood around Goodison Park. The home fans were mute about the slovenly pace of Everton's team and this self-inflicted setback merely increased their irritability. 

'Shocking,' was Koeman's scathing verdict. 

Adrian Sardinero was given an equally easy opportunity to score after Ashley Williams failed to clear a ball from the box

Sardinero sends the ball past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to give the Cypriots a shock lead at Goodison Park

Defender Williams looks dejected after his mistake allows the Cypriot side an early lead in their Europa League clash

Wayne Rooney celebrates after finding the back of the net to bring Everton back on level terms with Apollon Limassol

Rooney celebrates with Everton team-mates Sandro Rodriguez and Idrissa Gana Gueye after scoring the equaliser

Nikola Vlasic of Everton celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1 during the  group match against Apollon Limassol

Vlasic finishes off a fine team move to give Everton the lead in an otherwise hard-fought contest at Goodison Park

Everton are not playing with a style that will quicken the pulse — TV pundit and Sportsmail columnist Martin Keown even likened them to Louis van Gaal's Manchester United. Had the visitors been able to hang on to their advantage for 15 minutes, the chances of them causing an upset would have significantly increased.

As it was, they mimicked Everton by surrendering the cheapest equaliser. There was minimal pressure on Yuste in the 21st minute, but, calamitously, his back pass to Bruno Vale was too heavy and Rooney capitalised.

Rooney's celebration was almost apologetic but, in such circumstances, it was not an opening that he or his team could afford to ignore. This is a hard period, one which they need to battle through. 

Trouble is they are so predictable. Koeman acknowledged in the build-up that he needed to adjust his attack but the constant chopping and changing of personnel is hardly helping the team settle. 

You had a situation where Koeman had started with a 4-4-2 formation but, within 20 minutes, he had altered it twice and shifted players from one side of the field to the other. It was little wonder, then, why they barely created anything before the interval. 

Leighton Baines, Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson discuss who should take a free-kick as they look to score again

Everton's record signing Sigurdsson fires a free kick over the Apollon Limassol wall in an attempt to score

Goalkeeper Bruno Vale of Apollon Limassol makes a diving save to deny Everton a goal in the second half

Rooney required lengthy treatment on an injured wrist but appeared unhampered after returning to the pitch

Everton were tame and passive with too many refusing to take risks with their passing.

The introduction of Vlasic, however, changed things. He impressed when starting for the first time against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup and he did so again, making something happen in the 66th minute with a smart finish.

'He is 19 and it is difficult understand,' said Koeman, when asked why the Croatian was so carefree. 'He brought energy, he brought football. It is so difficult to do that when you have so many players struggling.'

A lead should have enabled Everton to relax and when Limassol were reduced to 10 men, when Valentin Roberge was sent-off for a stamp, that should have been enough. Instead, they were punished when Yuste stole in between Mason Holgate and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The boos would follow. The pain continues.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton confronts opponent Valentin Romberge after he appeared to stamp on his back

Romberge of Apollon Limassol gets a red card for his malicious stamp on the Everton striker

Ronald Koeman looks on in dejection as his Everton side fail to seal their first Europa League win of the season