Evertonians will have to put Wembley plans on hold as Everton and Sunderland prepare for battle once more after this enthralling FA Cup Sixth Round tie failed to produce a winner at Goodison Park.
The Toffees fell behind to an early 12th minute Phil Bardsley stunner but Cahill squared this FA Cup quarter-final tie on 24 minutes with former Rangers hitman Nikica Jelavic providing the assist.
Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland took a deserved early lead when full-back Phil Bardsley, stepping onto Jack Colback’s short free-kick, arrowed a 20-yard drive past Tim Howard in the Everton goal. Although the visitors’ seized the momentum in the minutes after the goal, the opener only proved to reinvigorate the home side who didn’t have to wait long to restore parity.
Everton were struggling to match Sunderland´s early tempo but were back on level terms after 23 minutes when a Leighton Baines delivery found Jelavic and his miscued header dropped for Cahill, who nodded past Black Cats keeper Simon Mignolet.
The equaliser signified a change in the direction of the tide in what was a tempestuous affair, with Everton going on to dominate the rest of the match wth Osman, Cahill and Marouane Fellaini all testing Mignolet.
And the Sunderland keeper produced a stunning double stop right at the death to block a Johnny Heitinga header and the rebound from Jelavic as Sunderland held on resolutely to earn a FA Cup quarter-final replay on home soil on Tuesday 27 March (kick off 7.45pm).