Everton boss David Moyes has reflected upon last night’s 1-1 draw with West Ham at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Blues took a 1-0 first half lead thanks to Michael Keane, who headed home a terrific James Garner delivery.
We failed to seize the momentum, however, and the visitors grew into the game. A Jarrod Bowen striker on 65 minutes levelled the tie.
Despite a frustrating evening, Moyes insists there are ‘lots of positives’ to take from the game.
Speaking at full-time, he said: “I thought the performance at times was good. We did a lot of good things.
“We gave up too many transitions – mainly in the second half. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the second goal, but we probably didn’t create anything really clear cut.
“I take lots of positives from the game. The one thing we mustn’t forget is what a good team West Ham have got. They’ve got Brazilian internationals, they’ve got England internationals.”
LACK OF FIREPOWER WILL COST EVERTON POINTS THIS SEASON
The Toffees did start relatively brightly, and probably should’ve extended our lead before the break.
We had to expect a response from West Ham in the second half, especially under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
However our game management left a lot to be desired, and the visitors looked more likely to snatch it late on.
It’s a big two points dropped, and was not the required response after a frustrating week.
Jake O’Brien’s limitations at right-back were continuously exposed, while Tarkowski’s error-strewn second half created a nervous finale.
Upfront, Beto had a shocker. His complete inability to hold up play constantly hampered our attack and put pressure on the midfield.
Barry looked livelier upon his second half introduction, but his impact on the game was minimal.
The Toffees move up to ninth in the table, though are level on points with four other clubs.
Crystal Palace will be a real test, and the Blues will be without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for Sunday’s fixture.
The 27-year-old received his fifth booking of the season, despite winning the ball with a clean tackle on Kyle Walker-Peters.
It was the most mind-boggling booking he has received since the last one when he audaciously took a quick free-kick.
Refereeing standards remain the gutter.
