The club announced over the tannoy at the end of the game that a 40-year-man had been killed by flying debris on his way to the match with his family.

High winds had battered this corner of the east Midlands all day causing a lot of damage.

The game never got going from an entertainment point of view with Wayne Rooney giving 10-man Everton the lead, only for Bent to grab the equaliser in stoppage time.

The visitors had Duncan Ferguson sent off his his part in a scuffle.

Scotland striker Paul Dickov returned to the Leicester side for the first time after the La Manga affair.

Along with Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie he is facing charges of sexual aggression following the club’s training camp in Spain.

It was Leicester’s first home match since La Manga and Dickov was given a warm round of applause when his name was announced over the tannoy.

However his first touch was greeted with jeers from Everton’s travelling fans.

Everton were the first to show and Alessandro Pistone fired in a shot from distance that goalkeeper Ian Walker did well to smother.

Nikos Dabizas almost opened the scoring for Leicester in the 14th minute, his header from Muzzy Izzet’s free kick going inches over the top.

Everton were slow getting into the match but Wayne Rooney carved out an opening in the 16th minute. He made space inside the area but blazed a shot over the top from an acute angle.

Dickov then turned smartly to rifle in a drive that whizzed past Martyn’s right-hand post.

This was a good spell of pressure from Leicester and Steffen Freund found room on the edge of the area, only to scuff his shot wide.

Bent found the net after 30 minutes but no goal was given as the ball struck his arm after his header came back off the bar.

Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute when Ferguson picked up his second yellow card of the game in the space of three minutes. He was dismissed by referee Barry Knight after wrestling Freund to the ground.

Earlier Ferguson had pick up his first yellow card for throwing an elbow at Dabizas.

The Scottish striker was furious and told Knight so in no uncertain terms before angrily grabbing hold of Freund.

His dismissal prompted a brief flare-up between a number of players and Wayne Rooney felt obliged to have a word with Knight at the break.

Everton manager David Moyes decided to keep an attacking formation at the start of the second half despite his team being down to 10 men.

He did make one change, however, Tomasz Radzinski replacing the ineffective James McFadden.

Leicester boss Micky Adams also freshened things up bringing on Steve Guppy for Trevor Benjamin.

There was a scare for Everton after just 47 minutes when Pistone almost sent a cross from Izzet past his own goalkeeper Martyn.

Gravesen then tried to pick out Rooney for the visitors but only succeeded in finding the arms of Walker.

Former Kilmarnock midfielder Peter Canero made his home bow for Leicester after 58 minutes when he replaced Ferdinand.

Radzinski carved out a good opening for Everton in the 64th minute but Rooney could not get a decent touch to his cross.

Leicester, unbeaten in the last four games, knew a victory would improve their prospects of escaping the drop.

But despite being down on numbers following Ferguson’s sending off, Everton looked pretty solid.

Martyn made a spectacular save from Bent before Everton took the lead through Rooney after 75 minutes. He cleverly got away from Matt Heath after Radzinski had played the ball in to thump a shot beyond Walker.

It was his eighth goal of the season and came on the back of his winner against Portsmouth last week.

Radzinski should have added a second in the 83rd minute but sent a weak shot from close range into the arms of Walker.

Martyn then made a stunning save from Ricardo Scimeca in stoppage time, pushing his shot onto the post.

However from Guppy’s corner Bent headed a dramatic equaliser to hand Leicester a precious point in their fight against relegation.