TALK of a Christmas card will take centre stage this morning. But for Everton, there wasn’t quite the ideal festive gift of three points and a home victory.

An incident-packed encounter saw David Moyes’s side prevent Chelsea from moving back to the top of the Premier League table with a goalless draw.

Yet the point was the very least the home side deserved after they dominated a game which the visitors played more than half with only 10 men following the sending-off of John Terry.

The Chelsea skipper was dismissed for an ugly studs-up challenge on Leon Osman in the 35th minute that left manager Luiz Felipe Scolari accusing referee Phil Dowd of being “afraid” of the Goodison crowd for taking the decision.

But the current climate dictated Dowd had no choice but to brandish the red card. In doing so, Terry became the 12th Chelsea player to be sent off against Everton – a record.

Had just one of Everton’s recognised strikers been available, then perhaps the Goodison outfit would be celebrating a first win over Chelsea since November 2000.

Instead, the nearest they came was a late Steven Pienaar effort contentiously ruled out as Chelsea dug deep to escape with a point, Petr Cech making one excellent save in particular to deny Joleon Lescott.

But despite the inability to capitalise on their numerical advantage, and the fact they have still only won once at home in the Premier League this season, there was plenty of encouragement for Moyes.

This, don’t forget, ended Chelsea’s magnificent run of eight consecutive wins on the road this season.

Everton’s spirit, work ethic and resilience remain in abundance, and even with a full compliment Chelsea rarely appeared capable of breaking through a home defence in which Phil Jagielka again excelled.

Losing Joseph Yobo with a hamstring problem midway through the second half was a worrying postscript for Moyes given the forthcoming hectic festive period.

Certainly, Everton already have their quota of injury concerns. The continued absence of all his senior available striking options meant Moyes was forced to again employ Tim Cahill as the lone striker with Marouane Fellaini in support.

Both possess great quality in the air, a strength Everton were keen to exploit throughout.

Early on, Cahill and Fellaini each found space arriving late at the far post to meet consecutive Leon Osman crosses, only to direct their headers straight at Chelsea goalkeeper Cech.

Those chances came during a bright opening from Everton, the home side responding well to the early warning of a second-minute drive from Ashley Cole that Tim Howard did well to turn behind for a corner.