PRIZE FIGHTERS

Relegation rivals go toe-to-toe in high-octane basement battle

- James Nursey

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2

EVERTON 2 

ON this evidence, these two certainly have the stomach and the fighting spirit for a battle for survival.

At times it looked like several players were in danger of taking matters to extremes, with plenty of them squaring up with each other.

But as they pulled back from throwing punches in the arguments, they also failed to land a knockout blow in the football and settled for a point apiece.

In a feisty game with eight bookings, Everton twice led through Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucoure but was pegged back each time by Brennan Johnson.

Managers Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper demanded responses from their players with both teams coming into the game off the back of 4-0 losses. Toffees defender Michael Keane said: "It was a good response to our midweek defeat at Arsenal.

"You could see energy in the team and we showed quality too.