Leighton Baines converted a penalty 14 minutes from time as Everton held Sunderland to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light this afternoon.

Gus Poyet's side had looked on course for back-to-back wins for the first time this season courtesy of Sebastian Larsson's second-half free kick.

However, Baines levelled up shortly after to earn a deserved point for the Toffees, who drop to 10th in the Premier League table.

The Black Cats flew out of the traps and threatened twice within the opening four minutes, with Connor Wickham heading narrowly wide from corners on both occasions.

Everton brushed off those early scares and perhaps should have moved ahead on the half-hour mark when Romelu Lukaku headed straight at Costel Pantilimon.

Unperturbed, the Toffees continued in the same vein and Aiden McGeady fizzed narrowly wide of the post from all of 25 yards minutes later.

Jordi Gomez then missed the chance to cap an end-to-end first half with the opener, dispossessing Darron Gibson, but goalkeeper Tim Howard was on hand to spare the Irishman's blushes.

Pantilimon, who recently displaced the error-prone Vito Mannone, justified his inclusion once more shortly after the break to deny Lukaku in a one-on-one.

Roberto Martinez's side continued their barnstorming start to the second half as Lukaku again went close, this time being denied by the post after a step-over miffed Santiago Vergini.

Both opportunities soon proved costly misses as Larsson then fired a free kick beyond Howard on 68 minutes to open the scoring, but the lead lasted less than 10 minutes.

Seamus Coleman and Samuel Eto'o exchanged a neat one-two, before Wickham hauled down the Irishman inside the box as Baines levelled up from the penalty spot.

The hosts thought that they had snatched the win right at the death when Wes Brown headed goalward, but James McCarthy was on hand to clear the danger and preserve Everton's hard-fought point.