Cup distracts away from dour stalemate.

Byline: IAN DOYLE at Ewood Park 

Blackburn R 0

Everton 0

DAVID MOYES had already admitted to having an eye on the FA Cup - and just about everyone inside Ewood Park wished they were watching something else last night.

A dismal goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers was not the ideal preparation for the season-defining moment that lies on the horizon this weekend.

But another clean sheet and another away point helped maintain Everton's momentum ahead of Sunday's quarter-final meeting with Middlesbrough.

And, joy of joys, nobody got injured.

Moyes, understandably, accepted the Cup tie would impact on his team selection for last night's match.

The changes, though, made little difference to the one overriding aspect of this current Everton team; they are incredibly difficult to beat.

Moyes's men have now lost just one of their last 16 games and, even more impressively, have conceded a miserly nine goals in 19 Barclays Premier League outings.

And with Middlesbrough simultaneously being thrashed by Tottenham Hotspur last night, the portents augur well for this Sunday.

Moyes, of course, also has designs on catching fifth-placed Arsenal, meaning this failure to win has again stretched the gap to the Gunners to four points although ground has been made on Aston Villa in fourth.

Everton were aiming to gain a measure of revenge last night after Blackburn followed an opening-day victory at Goodison by dumping them out of the Carling Cup at Ewood Park the following month.

How long ago that seems now.

Moyes's men have since transformed their campaign while Paul Ince has been jettisoned by a struggling Rovers, replaced by Sam Allardyce.

Although this draw and results elsewhere saw Blackburn drop back into the relegation zone, they have lost only three of 15 games since Allardyce had taken charge in December.

Before the game, Allardyce sought to make an issue out of Tim Cahill and what the Blackburn manager believed was a crafty way in which the Everton man won headers.

Whether or not it influenced Alan Wiley, only the referee knows.

But Cahill was certainly a subdued performer compared to recent weeks.

He wasn't alone, though. Such is their complete commitment to the cause, none of Everton's players gave less than their usual 100%. But the spark and verve in their game was notably absent, minds evidently straying to the weekend.

Tim Howard marked his 100th league appearance for Everton with 12th Premier League clean sheet of the season, and in the process shattered the club record for the fewest goals conceded by a keeper in their first century of league games.

The American has let in 87 goals during that period, easily surpassing the previous best mark set by George Wood, who conceded 107 goals in his opening 100 league games.

With Tony Hibbert having joined the lengthy injury list, Moyes made three changes from the side that sealed victory over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the fit-again Jack Rodwell and Leon Osman back in the starting line-up.

Joleon Lescott, now free from the threat of suspension, also returned after being benched at the weekend when his hopes of setting a record number of consecutive appearances for the club were dashed. That there was neither a corner nor a shot on target for either side until the 39th minute spoke volumes for a grim, forgettable first half.

The early signs had actually been promising when, in the opening minute, Cahill flicked on Joseph Yobo's long punt forward and the ball eventually fell for Jo to strike a shot that was deflected harmlessly wide.

Rodwell blocked an effort from Blackburn midfielder Keith Andrews soon after, but that was about it in terms of action until the visitors finally fashioned a clear opportunity six minutes before the half-time interval.

And it was a good chance, too, Phil Jagielka crossing from the right for Steven Pienaar but the South African's shot, while well hit, was too close to Blackburn goalkeeper Jason Brown, deputising for the injured Paul Robinson.

Jo then shot tamely at Brown after working some space for himself, with Everton starting to impose themselves the longer the half progressed.

It made for a relatively comfortable 45 minutes for the Everton defence, with Howard in danger of freezing over, such was his lack of involvement.

Allardyce demonstrated his tactical acumen by starting with Roque Santa Cruz, the Paraguayan striker Rovers had rejected a pounds 20million bid from Manchester City for in January, on the right of midfield.

Santa Cruz was more involved at the beginning of the second half, his first-time shot from a Stephen Warnock lay-off dragged hurriedly across goal when the forward could have taken another touch.

At the other end, Cahill headed a deflected Pienaar cross at Brown, before Blackburn leftback Gael Givet caught Osman late in an aerial challenge shortly past the hour that brought an angry Moyes racing on to the pitch to protest.

Givet, though, came off worse; booked and then forced off through injury as a result of his unwise tackle.

Blackburn finally roused themselves midway through the second half.

Moments after Warnock's ridiculously ambitious freekick struck the crossbar, Jason Roberts was sent clear of the Everton defence but Howard did well to save an admittedly weak effort with his left leg.

Moyes responded by introducing Saha from the bench for a tiring Rodwell, and the Frenchman instantly combined with Jo on the edge of the Rovers penalty area to release Pienaar only for Warnock to make a saving sliding challenge.

Cahill warmed Brown's palms with a feisty effort from range and Lescott volleyed over from a corner in the final minute, but the draw had been inevitable long before Wiley blew his whistle to put everyone out of their misery.

For Moyes and his players, though, the main event is still to come.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Tim Howard

His vital save helped earn a point for the visitors

MATCH FACTS

BLACKBURN ROVERS (4-5-1): Brown; Ooijer, Nelsen, Samba, Givet (Mokoena 65); Santa Cruz, Andrews, Grella (Tugay 46), Warnock, Diouf (Treacy 89); Roberts. Subs: Bunn, Dunn, McCarthy, Simpson.

BOOKING: Givet (foul).

EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard; Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Baines; Osman, Rodwell (Saha 72), Neville, Pienaar; Cahill, Jo (Fellaini 78). Subs: Nash, van der Meyde, Castillo, Jacobsen, Gosling.

REFEREE: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

ATT: 21,445.

NEXT GAME: Everton v Middlesbrough, FA Cup quarter-final, Sunday 4pm.

CAPTION(S):

Tim Cahill is challenged in the Blackburn box by Chris Samba Pictures: GARETH JONES; Marouane Fellaini puts pressure on Blackburn's Ryan Nelson; Blackburn keeper Jason Brown claims the ball; Leon Osman challenges in the air with Blackburn's Tugay; Phil Neville at the final whistle