England striker Darren Bent appeared to have put relegation-threatened Villa - and their under-pressure manager Gerard Houllier - on course for three vital points at Goodison Park when he responded to Leon Osman's opener with a second-half double.
But Everton, who were aggrieved when Jermaine Beckford was not awarded a goal after a shot bounced down off the bar, battled on and won a spot-kick when Jean Makoun tripped Phil Jagielka.
The draw was no more than Everton deserved after dictating the play for most of the game despite missing several big names and being relatively secure in mid-table.
Villa, by contrast, were sluggish for large periods and the future of Houllier's regime remains uncertain.
Source: PA
Source: PA