Everton 2 Liverpool 2:Liverpool saw what seemed a legitimate winner ruled out at the death of a frantic Merseyside derby in which they relinquished an early two-goal lead at Goodison Park.

The visitors were praying for halftime at one stage, despite a Leighton Baines own goal and a Luis Suarez header putting them two in front after 20 minutes.

The Toffees struck back almost immediately through Leon Osman and a Steven Naismith strike saw them reclaim the upper-hand as they piled the pressure on before the break.

Liverpool switched to three at the back in a bid to reclaim the midfield after halftime but it was anyone’s game after the break, though Suarez looked to have snatched it in injury time when he converted a knock down from Sebastien Coates, only for a very late flag from the linesman.

"The goal at the end was clearly a goal and we are disappointed not to get it," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told the BBC. "I think the linesman gave it but everyone in the ground thought it was a goal. That should have been a goal and an outstanding hat-trick for Luis Suarez."

The result means Everton remain six points ahead of their local rivals and in fourth, pending the outcome of Tottenham's match against Southampton this afternoon.

Liverpool fielded five derby debutants — Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom, Nuri Sahin, Suso and Joe Allen — with Everton having just two in Kevin Mirallas and Naismith. That may have contributed to what was a first 45 minutes so open it belied its history of being the oldest and longest-running cross-city rivalry in English football.

Baines opened the scoring at the wrong end in the 14th minute, but the goal could just have easily been awarded to Suarez. Steven Gerrard’s pass sent Jose

Enrique, on his first start since October 2nd, racing down the left and although his cross flashed through the six-yard area it was collected by the Uruguayan, whose drilled cross-shot return was deflected in by the defender.

His reaction was to race to the dug-out and dive full-length — in a celebration reminiscent of Jurgen Klinsmann’s for his debut goal in English football in 1994 - in front of Toffees boss David Moyes after his pre-match comments about players going to ground easily.

"I thought it was great, I would probably have done the same, but he is going to have to dive in front of a lot of managers now," Moyes said of the Suarez's celebration. "I might have done the same to him, if we'd won 3-2, I might have done one in front of him as well."

Ironically, later in the half, it was one of Moyes’ own players Phil Neville who was booked for diving on the edge of Liverpool’s penalty area. That prompted a swift retort from injured Reds defender Glen Johnson on Twitter.

“Haha classic P Neville battering Luis for diving, then what does he get booked for....?! Haha,” he wrote.

"Phil Neville went down too easily so I have had a word with him about it," Moyes added afterwards.

Six minutes later Osman’s slight trip on Sterling presented Gerrard with the chance to curl in a free-kick and Suarez’s deft header helped the ball past Tim Howard and into the far corner of the net.

For a team whose problems in scoring were well documented, things seemed to be going better than expected for Brendan Rodgers’s side, but Everton have not forced their way into the top four this season on a wing and a prayer, and they produced an instant response.

When goalkeeper Brad Jones, still deputising for the recovering Jose Reina who was on the bench, could only punch a corner to the edge of the area, Osman controlled and volleyed home.

The game, surprisingly, became even more open with Suarez shooting just wide before Marouane Fellaini, back from injury after two matches out, ran the ball out of play as he bore down on goal when teed up by Nikica Jelavic.

Derbies can do strange things to people — highlighted by Neville’s diving aberration — and the sight of Tim Howard, one of football’s genuine nice guys,

hurtling out of his goal in an attempt to get 17-year-old Sterling sent off for what he thought was a second bookable offence was ungentlemanly and unnecessary.

The hosts soon put the focus back on football when Fellaini’s cross was left by Martin Skrtel and Naismith nipped in front of Enrique to equalise from close range.

Everton poured forward with the excellent Mirallas marauding down the left against the inexperience of Wisdom and Sterling. The Belgian had one shot turned away by Jones and another blocked by Skrtel after a brilliant turn took him past Wisdom, reluctant to make a challenge in the penalty area, while Seamus Coleman also blazed over.

After such a rousing 45 minutes, the second half failed to live up to those standards.

Everton suffered a blow when Mirallas failed to appear after the break and was replaced by Magaye Gueye while Rodgers made a tactical switch by bringing on Coates, another derby debutant, and Jonjo Shelvey to go 3-4-1-2.

Chances continued to be created with Sterling clipping an excellent chance wide having been put through by Enrique while Jelavic, surprisingly quiet in such an open game, just failed to connect in the six-yard box before heading wide Leighton Baines’ free-kick wide.

Suarez, never far from the action, was fortunate to escape with a yellow card after standing on Distin’s Achilles after the ball had gone, but he was sinned against in the closing stages and it proved costly for the visitors.