Pahars, who has been consigned to the bench in recent weeks, came on in a double substitution with new signing Andrei Kanchelskis after 56 goalless minutes in which Everton had at least three good chances to break the deadlock.

That they did not was hardly the fault of debut-making centre back Li Weifeng and midfielder Li Tie, the first two Chinese players to appear together in a Premiership line-up.

Saints tried to set the pace against an Everton side deep in another of their familiar injury crises which left them with no deputy goalkeeper on the bench after Richard Wright and Steve Simonsen pulled out with knocks.

But after early efforts by Brett Ormerod and Rory Delap, stretching the keeper from 30 yards, they were forced onto the back-foot.

Weir must have come up very quietly from the back for a Thomas Gravesen corner in only the fourth minute because no Saints player picked him up. Yet he headed a straightforward chance wide.

Then Tomasz Radzinski looked even more certain to put Everton in front with a superb piece of work in the 22nd minute.

Yet, after pouncing on Kevin Campbell's low pass into the area, sweeping past Wayne Bridge and then committing keeper Paul Jones with a clever feint he inexplicably fired over the bar from eight yards.

Weir did well to get in the way of Fabrice Fernandes' powerful shot but Everton were giving just as good as they received, forcing a flurry of corners and from one of them forcing Dodd to head off the line from Gravesen's in-swinger which threatened to sail in.

Paul Williams did well to get back and help Jones keep out the persistent Radzinski at the expense of another corner in 39th minute.

Jones was scrambling to save a long-range shot from Gravesen and then Radzinski's effort from a narrow angle after Saints left the striker completely alone believing him to be offside.

But it had to be a convincing stop to block the rampant Radzinski again just after the hour-mark and the Wales keeper was relieved to see Campbell put the rebound wastefully wide.

By then an increasingly-agitated Strachan had sent on Pahars, last season's top scorer, and Kanchelskis, the former Everton winger he has signed on a free, in a double substitution.

And it did the trick - with more than a little generous help from referee Bennett.

Pahars, scurrying after a long through-ball in the 71st minute, bounced off the much bigger Weir's hefty challenge and Bennett pointed to the spot.

Weir could scarcely believe it and went in search of Pahars to tell him exactly what he thought of his actions. It only earned him a booking - before the substitute fired unerringly home from the spot.