IN the end it was tough going, but nothing has come easy to Blues or any team in an unpredictable Premier League this season, including their Goodison Park hosts.

A determined rearguard action was required in the second half to hold off Everton and take a point that moves Blues out of the relegation zone.

It could have been better – Jean Beausejour put them ahead in the 17th minute – but it could also have been worse.

Everton equalised shortly before half-time and exacted great pressure thereafter.

Blues though reminded everyone, and themselves, perhaps, of the defensive doggedness that has often bailed them out when they are unable to get anything going at the other end.

They ultimately frustrated Everton after a bright and promising start, and this was more about avoiding defeat than trying to make it an end-to-end slug-out.

It’s now 13 draws for Blues in their 28 games, and that tells its own story of a campaign of struggle.

Depleted because of injury, and with further evidence of weariness in the wake of the Carling Cup exertions, Alex McLeish will have been satisfied by a share of things.

Early on, in the ninth minute, there was the unusual coincidence of both teams having to make enforced changes at the same time.

Mikel Arteta pulled up sharply clutching his hamstring just as David Murphy was stripping off to replace David Bentley, who signalled to the bench that his groin was causing trouble.

The reshuffle meant that Blues moved Beausejour from wide on the left of midfield to a more central role in the middle three, with the task of getting up to provide Cameron Jerome with the first wave of support.

Blues five strung across the park gave them a decent foothold and they instantly looked much happier on a lush pitch knowing that the ball would run true when it was passed around.

It would have been interesting to see how Bentley might have fared with the roaming brief, but Beausejour is no stranger to playing off the front in such manner, for his club and country.

And Beausejour brought an added bonus of scoring the opening goal, to boost Blues morale after the disappointing Wembley homecoming defeat to Albion.