A little of Paul Gascoigne can still go a long way and yesterday it went far enough to deny Leicester City the victory which would have put them on top of the league for the first time in 37 years. Gascoigne's performance in the second half inspired Everton to force a draw which looked well beyond them after Leicester had taken the lead midway through the first.

Gascoigne is in another of his lean periods, which is to say that in the player's latest search for full match fitness he is again looking on the slim side of sleek. The skills he will never lose, it is the length of time available to him to continue using them at Premier League level which has been questioned.

On this evidence it is clearly too early to write off the 33-year-old as a limp accessory. In the closing minutes of the match Gascoigne made three strong challenges to win the ball near the left-hand touchline before picking himself up to find Thomas Gravesen unmarked in the penalty area.

Had the Dane not wasted the opportunity the afternoon would have ended perfectly for Gascoigne, who had earlier set up David Unsworth for Everton's equaliser. As it was the nation's icon of the day before yesterday offered a pertinent reminder of his qualities, with Kevin Keegan due to announce an England squad later this week.

The idea of Gascoigne facing Germany at Wembley in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday week is, to say the least, farfetched and nobody would have lent it credence before half-time at Filbert Street, when he did little apart from play safe passes and watch the rest of the game go by.

Yet as Walter Smith, the Everton manager, pointed out: "Paul can give us something in parts of games and maybe he can do the same at international level."

At times yesterday Gascoigne looked the midfield creative force that he once was and David Beckham probably never will be.

Gascoigne's readiness to command the ball, backed by Gravesen and the Ghanaian Alex Nyarko, wrested the game from Neil Lennon, Muzzy Izzet and Robbie Savage after Leicester had taken a grip on midfield.

For a side poised to take Leicester to the top for the first time since the late summer of 1963, Peter Taylor's players were a disappointment.

Filbert Street was growing wet and impatient when quickly-struck passes from Matt Elliott and Savage gave Lennon the chance to produce a dipping cross which was smartly turned in by Ade Akinbiyi on 23 minutes. Soon afterwards Gascoigne skimmed the crossbar with a 30-yard free kick but at this point Everton's midfield and attack had all but melted away.

When they regained some momentum Nyarko, turning as Gary Rowett made a challenge, was caught by the Leicester defender's leg and went down. "Nobody would have disagreed with the referee if he had given a penalty," said Smith. Well, they would have but justice would probably have been done.

Something seemed to come over Leicester at half-time. Maybe the thought of going two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League prompted a touch of vertigo. Certainly they approached the bulk of the second half with the nervousness of men afraid to look down.

As Taylor admitted: "That was the worst second half we have played this season. We seemed to lose confidence passing the ball and the players were so quiet. I know they can talk, they've been giving me enough stick."

Whatever the reason for Leicester's ennui, Everton wasted little time exploiting it. In the 50th minute a stoutly-struck free-kick by Unsworth which beat Tim Flowers and flew past a post sent a shudder through the home supporters which was followed two minutes later by a convulsion.

Gascoigne took the ball across the penalty area before switching it from right foot to left, turning back inside Lennon and producing a flighted cross which Flowers could only pat down for Unsworth to drive it into the net.

Goalline clearances, by Rowett at one end and Niclas Alexandersson at the other, denied the game a winner but Gascoigne had won back some respect all the same.

Leicester: Flowers, Rowett, Elliott, Taggart, Guppy, Impey (Collymore 53), Lennon, Izzet, Akinbiyi (Gilchrist 67), Eadie (Cresswell 67), R Savage. Subs Not Used: Royce, Davidson. Booked: R Savage, Eadie, Taggart. Goals: Akinbiyi 23.

Everton: Gerrard, Weir, Unsworth, Dunne, Alexandersson, Gascoigne, Gravesen, Nyarko, Jeffers (M. Hughes 85), S Watson, Campbell (Moore 85). Subs Not Used: S. Hughes, Simonsen, Cleland. Booked: S. Watson. Goals: Unsworth 52.

Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood).