Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace
by James Nalton
at Goodison Park

GIVEN the situation they are in, Everton probably needed more than a point from a home game against a team in the bottom half of the Premier League, but a point is what they had to settle for against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

For a little over 20 minutes, it looked like they might not get any points at all as Palace forward Jordan Ayew fired an outstanding effort past Jordan Pickford with just over an hour played.

Dwight McNeil’s delivery had been good for Everton all game. He put a couple of crosses on the head of Dominic Calvert-Lewin from which the striker might have done better, but the misfiring forward hit the target with neither effort.

A McNeil corner in the final 10 minutes of the game helped Everton salvage something when things were looking bleak. His cross was headed in by substitute Amadou Onana.

Everton pushed for a winner, Palace less so, with their goalkeeper Sam Johnstone happy to take his time whenever the ball was in his possession.

“Expectations change in games like this and our job is to play up to that,” Everton manager Sean Dyche said after the game.

“In the second half, we created enough to certainly get a point. It was a fine delivery from McNeil and a fine finish from Onana.

“Demands are different in a game like this, a different feel in the stadium.

“I’ve learnt that over what I think is 50 games in charge for me here tonight, 

“We don’t worry about the fans, they’ve been great, it’s our responsibility.”

Thoughts were with Roy Hodgson who is recovering at home after an illness.

Hodgson stepped down as Palace manager yesterday, and the players did him proud on a tough night against a team fighting to get out of the relegation zone.

Everton did move out of the relegation zone ahead of Luton who have a game in hand, against Liverpool on Wednesday night.

The Toffees will now be hoping their city rivals do them a favour.