AS he made his way through the bowels of St Andrews en route to the team coach, Everton’s kit man Jimmy Martin paused for a momentary reflection on the afternoon’s events.
What followed was typically straightforward.
“Well, we threw that one away didn’t we?” came the verdict, or words to that effect, before the Goodison veteran trudged onwards.
How true.
“Having seemed ready to give their hopes of European qualification a significant boost, David Moyes’s side proceeded to demonstrate just why such an achievement is likely to remain beyond them this season.
The overriding emotion among the away supporters on the coaches travelling back up the M6 on Saturday evening was one of frustration at their team’s inability to fully capitalise on the opportunity of a potentially pivotal victory.
When Moyes had sought before the game to ease the burden of expectation on his players, he wasn’t anticipating his players to justify such an exercise as they frittered away a two-goal advantage to head home with just a point.
Nearly, but not quite. And that’s been the story for Everton this season. Not for nothing was Moyes so keen to downplay talk of Europe in the wake of the 5-1 thrashing of Hull City that had many critics purring at the enterprise and endeavour of the Goodison outfit.
It’s no coincidence that many of Everton’s best performances this season have come when the pressure has been off and the players have enjoyed the freedom of having nothing to lose, such as when coming from behind to thrillingly beat both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Yet when the onus has fallen on them – think the Anfield derby against Liverpool, the Europa League second leg at Sporting Lisbon and the FA Cup tie against Birmingham City – matters have too often started to unravel. Saturday provided further evidence of this. With Birmingham manager Alex McLeish having admitted for the first time that Europe was a possibility for his side, it was the Midlanders who appeared to suffer stage fright by allowing Everton to gleefully race into a two-goal lead inside the opening quarter.
But then Moyes’s side pushed the self-destruct button, the infuriation from which was only intensified by the fact that, once hauled back level, the visitors kicked on again and were the only team that looked capable of winning.
Of course, a point at Birmingham is by no means a bad result.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were all held at St Andrews this season by McLeish’s resurgent side, who have proven a welcome breath of fresh air in the Premier League based largely on the template that helped Moyes transform fortunes at Goodison.
However, it did nothing for Everton’s ongoing efforts to bridge the gap to the European qualification berths, Moyes’s men staying two points adrift of their Midlands opponents.
“Europe is not something I’m discussing at the moment because only when we get on a real serious run can we claw something back,” said the Goodison manager afterwards.
“At the moment a point is not going to claw anything back.”
