SPORTSMOLE
Everton have claimed a valuable point away from home by drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this afternoon.
Despite a late red card for Mason Holgate, the Toffees were able to cling on for a point, but are still 14 games without a win on the road.
The result still sees Everton slip into the bottom three through, after Leicester City’s win over Wolverhampton Wanderers today.
The point for Palace moves them closer to being mathematically safe, but it has ended Roy Hodgson’s winning run since returning to the club.
Everton were able to welcome back Dominic Calvert-Lewin after not featuring since Sean Dyche’s first game in charge against Arsenal back in early February.
The Everton frontman had the first real sighter of the afternoon, but he failed to get a clean contact on Alex Iwobi’s cross, making life easy for Palace keeper Sam Johnstone.
Jordan Ayew was presented with the first opportunity of the afternoon for the hosts, but he cleared the crossbar with a header from a set piece.
In a game with very few clear-cut chances, neither side troubled the opposition goalkeeper on many occasions, with many tame efforts being dealt with easily by Johnstone and Jordan Pickford.
The closest Everton came in the opening period was via Iwobi’s well-struck volley from the edge of the area which Johnstone was able to turn away well.
Palace had the better of the early exchanges in the second half, and were denied the opening goal when Eberechi Eze’s delightful lob was disallowed for offside.
With just 24 goals scored in their 31 Premier League games this season, Everton were always likely to struggle in the final third, and poor deliveries from out wide summed up their afternoon.
It was a long punt upfield from Pickford which created their best chance of the second half, when Calvert-Lewin collected Iwobi’s through ball superbly but could only fire wide of Johnstone’s right-hand post.
As the game slipped into a lull with neither side showing signs of scoring, Everton shot themselves in the foot with Holgate getting second off for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes remaining.
