EVERTON manager David Moyes believes that defeat at Newcastle, which ended his side's two-month unbeaten run in the Premiership, should not disguise the fact that his players are now showing a renewed confidence that was lacking from their play earlier in the season.

At the start of December, an upsurge in form had seen the Goodison outfit eyeing a top-half spot but four successive defeats again left them hovering worryingly close to the relegation zone.

But such is their improvement since their last-gasp win at Sunderland on New Year's Eve, Moyes is confident that his team are now showing the kind of positive attitude that can help them push on for a possible top-10 finish.

Following Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United, where Everton squandered several first-half opportunities before succumbing to two Nolberto Solano goals after the interval, Moyes said: "When I spoke to the players afterwards you could see how disappointed they were.

"During the game you could see the confidence through them and we thought that we could take something from this game.

"But if you'd have given me just one defeat from this run nine games ago, I'd have taken it."

Without his first three goalkeepers - Nigel Martyn and Richard Wright through injury and Iain Turner through suspension - Moyes handed on-loan Sander Westerveld his Everton debut while Joseph Yobo returned to the side at right-back following his African Nations Cup duty with Nigeria to replace the suspended Tony Hibbert.

Moyes said: "We had about 10 players out, through our own fault, so I had to make changes.

"The goalkeeper only had one save to make. He did well but didn't really have a great deal to do.

"Joseph was playing at right-back and that's not his position."

Newcastle caretaker manager Glenn Roeder claimed that he was not surprised by Solano's wonder strike for the second goal.

He said: "He actually scored an even better one in training. I work with him everyday and that wasn't a fluke. He knew exactly what he was doing. At 1-0, I never had any doubt whatsoever that we'd lose the game."