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Sean Dyche said the table doesn’t lie after seeing his Everton side return to the Premier League relegation zone with a goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
The visitors’ hopes of getting the victory they needed to boost their chances of survival were dashed when Mason Holgate was sent off with 10 minutes left for a second booking, after stopping Jordan Ayew’s blast on the wing with a clumsy journey.
It came after a period of pressure for Dyche’s side when he looked more likely to score the decisive goal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin making his first start since February set a shot wide after a clever touch and spin as Everton came within inches.
Holgate’s dismissal turned the tide of pressure, with Palace closing in on Tyrick Mitchell and Luka Milivojevic who had shots blocked, as they looked for the victory that would have all but guaranteed their top-flight survival.
Palace looks likely to do well after Roy Hodgson’s unbeaten run since returning as manager extended to four games, but Everton don’t have that luxury after Leicester’s win against Wolves lifted them into the relegation places with six games to play.
«It’s just reality, that’s the standings,» said Dyche. “I don’t really worry until the end. The most important table is the one at the end of the season. Nothing means anything other than that.
“The middle part is the level of performance, the fitness of the players, the organization, the strategy, the process we go through to make sure that table is right for us.
“I hope (performances like this can keep Everton up). The hardest thing to measure when things don’t go your way is the reality of the opposition.
“They (Palace) had just won three at the trot. They come into the house feeling cheerful, feeling great, feeling ready to play with a little more freedom, with few points on the board.
“To go in and deal with it and be as confident as we were, I was happy with that side of things. I still think we can play better, I think we can create more. We have injuries, injuries, suspensions.”
Dyche did not complain about referee John Brooks’ decision to send Holgate off in the 80th minute.
He has given his players the opportunity to prove that they have what it takes to dig in and get a result.
«Inevitably you get two yellows and you have to go,» he said. “The second, he almost caught the ball, touched the ball but his foot slipped over the top of the ball. I can see why the ref gives that, but another day you might get away with that.
“But the form was good, the commitment was good. We were on the verge of finding the moment, but we didn’t quite find it. You have to be careful with those decisions. Sometimes the hardest thing to do in football is nothing.
“When you get down to 10, it’s not easy here anyway. They had a tough run before winning three, but overall it’s a tough place to play. I’m the fit side.
“To keep them at really minimal chances – they had a chance from distance, Jordan (Pickford) made a great save. But we kept that side quite clean from our point of view and defended well. The goalkeeper and two centre-backs played well, I thought.
“The commitment in the end was good. Go down to 10, it’s not easy. They are pulling the curves, but we handled it well.
Palace boss Hodgson has decided to dwell on his side’s recent good form rather than regret their failure to bring down 10 men in the final minutes.
They move on to 37 points, nine more than 18th-placed Everton and with the poor run of form that led to Patrick Vieira’s sacking in March seemingly behind them.
«I was happy with the way we put them in the last 10 or 15 minutes, some balls bouncing into their own six-yard box,» said Hodgson.
“It won’t be regarded as one of the best Premier League games ever played, but in a way it was because that’s 10 points from four games. That’s a lot of points to get in four games.
Premier League: Fulham 2-1 Leeds | Brentford 1-1 Villa | Palace 0-0 Everton | Leicester 2-1 Wolves | Liverpool 3-2 Forest
