DAVID MOYES admits Everton were their own worst enemies as their Europa League hopes were left hanging in the balance – just hours after Marouane Fellaini was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Goals from Steven Pienaar and Sylvain Distin had given the Goodison outfit a 2-0 lead against Sporting Lisbon in last night's round of 32 first leg.

But an 87th-minute penalty converted by Miguel Veloso after Distin upended Liedson ensured a precious away goal for the Portuguese side going into the return encounter on Thursday week.

Distin, who had been played into trouble by a slack pass from substitute Jack Rodwell, was dismissed for conceding the penalty and is now suspended for the trip to Lisbon.

And Moyes believes Everton missed a chance to take a significant step into the next round.

“It's so frustrating, we are deflated because it was a game we controlled and we should have had more than two goals,” said the Goodison manager. “But we've been undone by sloppy defending, and it has cost us dearly. We had the chances to kill the tie off.

“The game now looks a whole lot different. Their goal changed the perspective of the game. I thought we were more likely to go in 3-0 than 2-1. but it changed the game.

“I thought we didn't go for it enough at 2-0. We were too busy conserving energy or not going for the third goal.

“Distin had a very difficult pass to deal with and miscontrolled it, which led to the penalty. We should never have put ourselves in the position. We should have been looking to play the ball forward.”

Sporting had rarely threatened after falling two behind until the late penalty, and Moyes reckons his team were caught between defending the lead and pressing for a potentially tie-clinching third goal.

“The message we would have given them is to try and score a third and make sure we don't concede, and we didn't manage to do either of them,” said the manager.

“We did enough to be 2-0 in front, I didn't really see a goal coming from Sporting. I only saw a goal coming for us. But it wasn't to be and that has kept the tie alive.

“We are not down, we are disappointed we did not see the job through the way we should have done tonight.

“We have given Sporting an opportunity that maybe they didn't look as though they would have. We will need to go to Lisbon and do a very good job.

“I would say they have the momentum going into the return leg.”