I WAS asked on Saturday’s Football Focus if I thought one moment could change the course of a whole season.

The moment in question was Tim Howard’s penalty save from Jermain Defoe in the Everton v Spurs game last week.

My mind immediately went back to Phil Neville’s tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo at Goodison Park last season. It was perfectly legal but the earth shook and the whole ground followed suit.

That one challenge certainly inspired a fightback on that day – and I think Howard may have inspired one in the context of Everton’s season.

On the face of it, Everton have still only drawn two games and dropped four points in those matches, leaving them in a precarious looking 15th position in the Premier League.

But performances like Saturday’s at Chelsea suddenly get you looking up the table instead of down. It changes the whole mindset and that will be key to Everton continuing their revival.

They did what I love seeing teams do at Stamford Bridge, they had a real go at them over 90 minutes and got their reward.

But it also showed that the spirit is right, they refused to fold when Chelsea were getting on top.

When the injured players return to a squad in this kind of mood then the rise in confidence should be reflected with a rise up the table.

Mark Lawrenson was talking to NICK SMITH