Everton were denied a vital three points in the Europa League by Hector Yuste's late leveller.
Adrian Sardinero capitalised on a mistake from Ashley Williams to put the Cypriot side ahead, but goals from Wayne Rooney and Nikola Vlasic seemed to have turned the game around for Ronald Koeman's team.
Ex-Sunderland defender Valentin Roberge was then shown a straight red for a tackle on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, yet the centre-back's departure only seemed to spark something in the visitors, who equalised from a set-piece in the 88th minute.
The result leaves Everton bottom of their Europa League group and facing an uphill struggle to progress through to the next round of the competition.
Here are the four things we learned from the Goodison Park encounter.
1. Koeman persisting with square pegs in round holes
In an attempt to reprise Saturday's profitable partnership between Jonjoe Kenny and Tom Davies, Ronald Koeman settled on a narrow 4-4-2 formation that saw the youngsters line up together on the flank from the outset.
The result was another Everton lineup that was desperately short of both width and pace. For all his merits, Davies is better suited to a role in the midfield engine room, while fellow wide-man for the night, Gylfi Sigurdsson, also favours playing in the centre of the park. Criminally, Kenny, who favours the overlap from right-back, was left with nobody with which to combine.
Against a Limassol that sat deep in a low block, the Blues spent far too much time saturating play in the middle and going sideways. Not for the first time this campaign, it was all too easy for the opposition to defend against Koeman's side. Indeed, it was telling that Rooney's fortuitous equaliser came from a mistake- chances before that were few and far between.
Now, following the latest failed experiment, Koeman should look to his crop of promising youngsters like Ademola Lookman and Nikola Vlasic to dig him out of a hole.
2. Ashley WIlliams has become a liability for Everton
It's become commonplace for Everton to shoot themselves in the foot in the early part of the season. Defensive blunders- often on the ball- have been witnessed with regularity against the likes of Manchester United and Atalanta.
Adrian Sardinero's opener was just the latest in a series of poor goals conceded by the Toffees, with Ashley Williams once again the man responsible. Slow, clumsy in possession and rash in the tackle, the Welshman has endured a torrid start to the season. Here, a slack clearance fell straight to an opposition man, with former Getafe striker converting from the ensuing low centre.
It's a rut that shows no signs of abating. At the age of 33, Williams' best days may well now be behind him.
The expected returns of summer buy Michael Keane and club captain Phil Jagielka in the near-future should leave the Welshman looking nervously over his shoulder ahead of games against Burnley and Brighton.
3. Sandro Ramirez remains a work in progress
Ask any Everton fan which summer signing has disappointed most so far this season, and the answer would almost certainly be Sandro Ramirez.
The Spain Under-21 was brought in to much acclaim for what seemed like a bargain £5m fee back in July, but while clearly talented, he has so palpably flattered to deceive so far.
With Premier League minutes in short supply, Sandro was finally given his chance to impress on Thursday evening. However, far from putting his hand up for more regular selection, the Barcelona academy graduate gave yet another indication as to why he's rarely featured in recent weeks.
Playing as the main centre-forward, all too often forward balls bounced off the 22-year-old as he sought to bring others into the game. Even against Cypriot opponents not famed for their physical play, far too many 50-50s were lost. As it stands, his hold-up play leaves an awful lot to be desired- particularly if he has aspirations of leading the line for the Blues.
For now, Koeman would best served using the Spaniard sparingly until he's fully up to speed.
4. Dynamic Vlasic ready for more responsibility at Goodison
Given the obvious shortage of width in the Everton starting line-up, it was no surprise that the introduction of substitute Nikola Vlasic at half-time that served as the catalyst for an improved second-half display from the hosts.
A deadline day addition from Hajduk Split, the 19-year-old was quickly labelled as one of Europe's top talents by his manager, and has followed that up with a series of impressive cameos in cup competitions.
Playing from the left of midfield, Vlasic's dynamism and drive opened up opportunities for Gylfi Sigurdsson to pick passes from a central role, with the two combining perfectly to put Everton 2-1 up.
In the end, the Croatian was to be denied his moment in the spotlight by Yuste's late leveller, but on this evidence, even brighter days could well be ahead once the teenager fully acclimatises to life on Merseyside.
