DAVID MOYES has reaffirmed his belief that Everton FC’s primary target is maintaining their Premier League status - but continues to holds confidence that the club can finish well this season.

Everton FC moved into the top half of the table with Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa when substitute Victor Anichebe cancelled out Darren Bent’s opener.

A point was the least Everton FC deserved but David Moyes concedes it is becoming increasingly hard for his team to pick up points given the financial gulf which has opened up between them and those at the high end of the division.

But Everton, under Moyes’ stewardship, have often defied the odds and finished fourth in 2005 and achieving European qualification four times in the last decade.

Although such a feat has become ever harder to replicate, Moyes is refusing to give up.

“I try not to see it in a negative way, but there are so many of us trying to get the 40 points and then can you look forward and see where you can go from there,” he said.

“There are times when you think to yourself 'this is tough', but my job when I came was tough. When I took the club over it was a tough job. I was never told it would be rosy.