Naismith and Neville are favoured in midfield with Anichebe on the bench where Kevin Mirallas makes perhaps a token appearance after returning from two months out with a hamstring problem.
Everton started slowly and come under a fair bit of pressure early on, Phil Jagielka diverting a cross just the right side of Howard's post, and then a Puncheon shot careening just inches wide of the same post off a defection.
Everton started to get more possession and forward play, thanks to a couple of free-kicks pitched up to Fellaini. But Ramirez benefited from another deflection that forced Howard to push the ball away for a corner that drifted behind harmlessly.
A bizarre Osman dribble dribbled off into nothing as he got into the Soton area but at least the Blues were trying to play some joined-up stuff along the ground. Then Coleman got in a little better cross and Baines won Everton's first corner with a blocked shot that Distin nodded tamely wide.
A soft foul given up by Neville saw Lambert lash his free-kick onto the post, with Howard right on it. The struggle continued through the rest of the half, with the hosts getting closer... Gaston Ramirez beat Leighton Baines to get a low shot in which Howard turned behind. Just before the break and Lambert powered a free header just a fraction wide of the post, the Blues rather fortunate to still retain that clean sheet, thanks to smome smart saves from Tim Howard.
Everton did a lot better after the break, Fellaini firing in close at the far post at Boruc's legs, then from the corner, powering a header straight at the keeper's grateful arms. But the Saints kept coming back at them, giving the Blues a really hard game.
The hour mark approached and the appointed time for substitutions, this time forced... with Coleman coming off after getting some attention on his leg after over-stretching, and possibly giving himself a substantial injury. Anichebe came on with Neville slipping into the back-four.
Osman wellied in a tremendous shot at the corner that was deflected over. Past the hour and a superb ball was gifted by Anichebe right to the feet of Nikica Jelavic with an open goal before him and he stumbled all over it like it was a bowling ball... Shocking miss that totally summed up the way his season is going...
Moyes reacted hauling off the badly misfiring Croatian and bringing on Kevin Mirallas in a clear effort to change things up front.
Anichebe got behind the red line off a superb Fellaini ball and Buroc got a hand to push his shot wide as Everton suddenly looked so much better, even if Mirallas was a little ring-rusty. Anichebe then fed Mirallas, a more difficult ball, but he lashed at it and sent high what should have been a net-buster.
But that seemed to be it from Everton as they could not structure another meaningful attack as Southampton gained a second lease of life and pushed the Everton defence hard as the minutes ticked away toward a second scoreless draw, although Mirallas tried to power his way through for a shot on Boruc, and Naismith was floored off the ball for a massive penalty shout form the traveling Blues, as the Saints survived a last late corner.
In the end, it was manful defence from the beleaguered Blues, who seem to be looking less and less mindful of really challenging the top four.
Michael Kenrick
Briefly under threat after Friday's snowfall, this televised Monday encounter went ahead as scheduled but Everton's attack remained in the deep freeze as they racked up their 11th draw in 23 games with a largely poor display at the St Mary's Stadium.
After putting the 3,000 hardy souls who made the trek south for this one through a shocking first half, one in which they had some goal-line heroics to thank for retaining parity going into half time, the Blues perked up for a time after the interval and had the chances to win it but Nikica Jelavic blew the best of them and otherwise found Artur Boruc in indefatigible mood in the Saints' goal.
It was a game that will have done almost nothing to dispel the gathering gloom around a side that appears to be struggling from a collective fatigue, a diminishing belief that Champions League qualification is attainable with such a shallow squad, or both. There is no question that the team needs an urgent injection of fresh blood but, with no virtually money to spend, everything will depend on David Moyes's ability to fish the loan market in the final 10 days of the transfer window.
The nine days' rest prior to this fixture were supposed to have offered an opportunity for the players to recharge their batteries a little but it was Southampton, despite the disruption caused by the sudden dismissal of Nigel Adkins last week, who looked lively and motivated in the first 45 minutes.
Indeed, Everton were unusually subdued and were out-fought and out-thought for a good deal of the opening exchanges by their more hungry hosts. Phil Jagielka came within a whisker of slamming the ball into his own net but his interception of a low cross from the right whistled inches wide and Puncheon's effort was also deflected behind a few minutes later as Southampton searched for an early breakthrough.
Striker Ricky Lambert came within inches of it in the 20th minute when Phil Neville's clumsy foul gave him a free-kick opportunity from around 25 yard but he whacked a terrific shot off the post, though Tim Howard appeared to have it covered with a full-length dive. And after Steven Naismith had despatched a low effort straight into Boruc's arms, Lambert had another great opportunity but, having neatly turned his man, he was unable to beat Howard who beat his effort away.
Rather than signalling an end to the Saints' early superiority, those were warning signings and after Howard had turned Gaston Ramires' drive behind, Lambert unchallenged to head powerfully goalwards. A combination of the goalkeeper and Jelavic stopped his effort on the line, though, and Howard was fortunate that when the return ball fell straight to Hooiveld the defender's chest and volley came straight at him and the Blues' defence was able to desperately hack it away again.
A promising interchange between Jelavic and Naismith almost opened up the home defence but Boruc raced off his line to claim the ball before the Scot could collect the one-two pass before Lambert despatched another free header wide when he should have done better.
After as poor a first half display as Everton have put in since perhaps the lame defeat at Tottenham a year ago, the second period could only have been better from the Blues' perspective and it was... but not enough to earn the win that would have pulled them within a point of Spurs in the race for the fourth Champions League spot.
Six minutes after the restart, Fellaini brought down a deep cross by Seamus Coleman but Boruc saved the Belgian's shot superbly with his legs and the 'keeper was on hand to deny him again from the resulting corner, Fellaini planting a close-range header straight into his arms.
Coleman was forced off after 55 minutes with a thigh injury sustained as he lunged to block a Luke Shaw cross back at the other end and he would be replaced by Victor Anichebe who came on for an Everton corner that was cleared only as far as Leon Osman but his rocketed first-time shot cannoned off Yoshida's head an behind.
As has been the case since his most recent return from injury, Anichebe's impact off the bench was pleasing and within three minutes he had laid on the best chance of the game for Jelavic when he latched onto Fellaini's perfectly-weighted through-ball, but the Croatian appeared to over-run the square pass, got it stuck under his feet and the opportunity evaporated.
Apart from a difficult headed opportunity that had dropped tamely wide in the first half, that had been Jelavic's only chance but it was as illustrative an example of his blown confidence as Moyes has seen this season and it was enough to prompt the manager to withdraw him five minutes later.
Kevin Mirallas came on after six weeks out with a hamstring injury and hope sprung that his direct running and creativity might provide the spark to create a crucial goal.
Initially, it looked like the Fellaini-Anichebe combination would provide that opening but Boruc again foiled Everton by pawing the striker's shot wide. But when Mirallas popped up in the six yard box a few minutes later, his first touch was good but he smashed a left-footed half-volley half a yard wide.
Unfortunately, that would be as good as it got for Everton and, just as was the case against Swansea, they appeared to run out of ideas completely in the final 15 minutes. The increasing reliance on the big boot forward never looked like working and with Osman, Naismith, Baines and, to a lesser extent, Pienaar all having decidedly off days, there was a desperate shortage of creativity, drive and determination in the Everton ranks.
Mirallas would line up one last shot from outside the box in injury time but, in the main, it was depressingly uninspired fare from the Blues in the closing stages.
Everton may still be fifth despite dropping four points in their last two games and they remain well-positioned in their quest for fourth place but in all brutal honesty they looked several shades short of the quality required for that lofty aim this evening.
The positives were few but heart should be taken from the return of Mirallas, the form and attitude shown by Anichebe, and the fact that the Blues avoided defeat yet again. Wins from their next two League games, both at Goodison, would, of course, change the picture substantially but on the evidence of the last two draws, that looks a tall order. You can't escape the feeling that urgent work in the transfer market is what is required if Moyes is unable to find another catalyst for his small squad.
Man of the Match: Tim Howard
Lyndon Lloyd
After Swansea City's stubborn performance at Goodison Park further emphasised how a lack of depth in David Moyes's squad could prove to be the key factor that denies Everton their Champions League dream, the Blues' quest for Europe moves to the south coast on Monday... weather permitting, of course.
In their infinite wisdom, Sky Sports selected Southampton as a Monday-night destination for Everton's supporters and the blanket of snow that will cover most of England this weekend will further complicate the logistics for those fans making the trek down from Merseyside on a weekday evening. Even so, it would surprise no one connected with the Club that the Blues have sold out their allocation at the St Mary's Stadium.
The distance notwithstanding, it's fair to say that earlier in the season this fixture might have looked more routine for Everton than it does so now. Shipping goals and languishing at the bottom of the table, Southampton appeared to be cannon fodder for the better teams and odds on to go back straight back to the Championship at the earliest opportunity.
Now sitting in 15th and, thanks to a highly fortuitous win at Aston Villa last weekend and a dramatic draw at Chelsea in midweek, three points above the the drop zone, the Saints look highly capable of staying in the top flight this season after all. Whether they do, though, will depend not on the continuing work of Nigel Adkins but on the unfamiliar managerial talents of Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite back-to-back promotions and growing stability in the Premier League, Adkins was sacked as manager at the St Mary's on Friday and replaced by Argentine Pochettino, the former manager of Espanyol and player hitherto known only to most fans in England as the man over whose leg Michael Owen "fell" in the 2002 World Cup to earn the decisive penalty in a 1-0 win.
Whether this sudden managerial change will disrupt Southampton's fragile momentum or serve to galvanise them further remains to be seen. The Saints remain the underdogs even though they have lost just one in six in the League at home since losing 2-1 to Spurs in October.
Everton's goal, however, remains unchanged regardless: three points secured in the most efficient manner possible.
The goalless draw against the Swans, the first time the Blues had been held scoreless since the 1st of September, was another source of frustration for a team that has been struggling to get the goals their performances have merited this season.
Key man Darron Gibson will again be missing from central midfield and attacking livewire Kevin Mirallas is unlikely to be risked as he makes his way back to fitness so Moyes is unlikely to make many — if any — changes to the team that started last Saturday.
That would mean veteran Phil Neville continuing in central midfield with the debate over his effectiveness having again came into sharp focus given his apparently less-than-effective showing last weekend. The debate over whether he offers more stability and ball-retention than Thomas Hitzlsperger continues but the Skipper is likely to start at the St Mary's alongside Leon Osman.
With Chelsea and Arsenal (three points behind the Blues) facing off this weekend at Stamford Bridge and Tottenham (three points ahead) hosting Manchester United, victory for Everton could significantly enhance their prospects in the Champions League race. Certainly, this is the sort of fixture that the Blues should be winning if they are to be a top-four team and, given the Saints' leaky defence (new signing and ex-Everton target Vegard Forren may make his debut), they should get ample opportunity to do so and notch what would be a fourth successive away win in all competitions.
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; † Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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