Duncan Ferguson scored his second goal in a week to salvage a point for Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday as the Toffees drew 1-1 with Birmingham City.
Everton are still in the driving seat to clinch the last Champions League space - ahead of city rivals Liverpool - after Ferguson's 86th minute equaliser to Emile Heskey's fifth minute opener.
After the memorable midweek victory over Manchester United - Everton's first in a decade - spirits were high at Goodison with the Merseyside club just one victory away from a guaranteed place in European competition next season.
Even the usually cautious manager David Moyes allowed himself to talk about what such an achievement would mean for a club that finished just above the Premiership relegation places 12 months ago.
Yet it took only five minutes for Birmingham and Emile Heskey to dent that optimism with a stunning goal.
Jermaine Pennant was the architect with a telling pass from the halfway line that found the former Liverpool striker in the centre of the field.
He turned Joseph Yobo and advanced to the edge of the area before unleashing an unstoppable effort.
Everton were presented with a glorious chance to equalise within ten minutes of the City goal.
Leon Osman crossed from the right but James Beattie, starting for the first time in two months after recovering from a knee injury, managed to head well over the target, despite being unmarked and only five yards from goal.
It was a miss that suggested there would be no repeat of Wednesday's heroics and, with Pennant in irresistible form on Birmingham's right wing, matters seemed more likely to worsen for the home side.
In the 20th minute, Pennant's cross was glanced just wide by Walter Pandiani and, later, Yobo had to make a brave defensive header to clear another wicked centre from the winger.
Heskey twice almost added to his tally before the interval as Birmingham showed the potential manager Steve Bruce believes they can build on next season.
In response, Everton had a couple of penalty appeals refused - the strongest coming after an apparent push by Kenny Cunningham on Osman - but it was not until the 44th minute that Maik Taylor was forced into his first save, easily gathering Yobo's header, guided straight at him from Mikel Arteta's corner.
The second half opened with brief promise of an improved Everton performance as Taylor was forced to bundle Osman's low shot around the right-hand post and Beattie headed Arteta's corner wide, but Birmingham were quickly back in control.
Mehdi Nifti produced a miss every bit as bad as Beattie's first half error when yet another right wing Pennant cross found him unmarked at the far post only for the City midfielder to head over from eight yards.
Everton, as expected given the size of the prize at stake, applied increasing pressure as the half wore on with Birmingham falling back into a more defensive mode.
Arteta's half-cleared corner was turned back into the area by David Weir and found Tim Cahill on the six-yard line. The Australian only had Taylor to beat but saw his effort blocked by the keeper who then recovered brilliantly to keep out Marcus Bent's follow-up effort.
But City's luck expired as the unmarked Ferguson side-footed the ball into an open goal.
There might have been even more drama in injury-time as Osman's pass played in Tony Hibbert but the young defender placed a disappointing shot too close to the keeper.